Does anyone else feel like this?

[Imnewhere1991]

Does anyone have days where they see the world as 'bad' and that it is full of horrible people, doom and gloom and you don't want to be in it anymore.
But then a few days later you feel the complete opposite and feel happy and that the world is good?
I don't know which is the correct belief! Maybe it's a bit of both.

Black and white thinking?

Yes it’s a bit of both.

Could be dependent on the interactions you have day by day and the places you go. Think of it this way if you go on holiday you'll feel different than if you've just finished 7 days of shifts.

The world is very divided. One of the nicest supermarkets, i.e. friendly welcoming staff are in one of the areas near by that is considered the worst to live in. Makes you think.

It's not about the world to be honest, it's whatever hormones, seritonin levels etc are yanking your chain on that day.

Very much so. It’s like a dark cloud floats in and obliterates everything for a bit, the world seems utterly depressing and beyond salvage, it’s just a constant ‘ping’ of negativity on the psyche. I’m one of life’s optimists and at these times I can’t see any positives. Then the cloud shifts and even although the atrocities and unfairness remain, I can see positives in the spirit of human nature, and a bit more fight comes back. No rhyme or reason to the fluctuations between the extremes.

@thefirstmrsrochester

Very much so. It’s like a dark cloud floats in and obliterates everything for a bit, the world seems utterly depressing and beyond salvage, it’s just a constant ‘ping’ of negativity on the psyche. I’m one of life’s optimists and at these times I can’t see any positives. Then the cloud shifts and even although the atrocities and unfairness remain, I can see positives in the spirit of human nature, and a bit more fight comes back. No rhyme or reason to the fluctuations between the extremes.

That is exactly how I get ... It's like I can't control it. For that particular day I cannot change my mindset. Then when the cloud shifts, I reflect back and can see my earlier thinking was extreme in some ways. But I think I also do have a generally negative outlook on life. I can see too much pain that life brings.

@thefirstmrsrochester

Very much so. It’s like a dark cloud floats in and obliterates everything for a bit, the world seems utterly depressing and beyond salvage, it’s just a constant ‘ping’ of negativity on the psyche. I’m one of life’s optimists and at these times I can’t see any positives. Then the cloud shifts and even although the atrocities and unfairness remain, I can see positives in the spirit of human nature, and a bit more fight comes back. No rhyme or reason to the fluctuations between the extremes.

Do you have any mental health conditions? You don't have to answer x

@Imnewhere1991 nope, I have had in the past but I don’t think it’s my mental health just now. I think maybe more to do with how altered our lives have become these past 18 months, the horrible collective trauma we have and are still going through, my extremes of emotion have really polarised. I don’t go seeking gloom and negatives, but I suppose subconsciously I must be.

I have mental health conditions, diagnosed, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder and depression.

Sometimes when you do come out of the black fog, I feel on top of the world, other days, it is such a struggle to be cheerful about anything.
The world is bad sometimes, personally, and global events, like the situation in Afghanistan, hurricane ida, covid, are things we never really had to think much about before, but the whole world is not on your shoulders.
There is so much joy to be had aswell! For me just playfighting and messing around with my kids, having the kids in bed and having a drink with my husband and watching a quiz show or playing darts, ticking off something from my to do list, however small. having a bath, reading etc.
You do sound like a lovely empathic person x