Sister won’t commit to booking holiday because of “threat of war”

[Posypointshoes]

I’m an anxious person. I worry a LOT especially about the way things are in the world at the moment. I can see how it can feel like things are pressing in on all sides.

however we have a special family birthday coming up and we are all supposed to be booking a special holiday abroad for it. It’s been in the works for a while we’ve sorted all the arrangements and now when it’s time to actually book my sister is saying she won’t commit because we just don’t know what’s going to happen with the world.
she’s panicking about war breaking out if we were on holiday and then what would we do?

as I said I am an anxious person. I’ve had some dark and scary thoughts about possibilities and what we could be facing but this just seems mad to me? Our parents are upset as it’s their occasion and now she’s the only one not going.

its also making me alarmed that she’s struggling with her mental health maybe more so than she’s letting on, if that seems like a logical reason not to book a holiday? She’s also stopped making plans further than a few weeks ahead as well. I don’t really know what to do about it, if it’s my place to try and how to approach it.

Sorry my AIBU is AIBU to think this is way over the top and not a reasonable attitude to take?

Go without her.

We will if it comes down to it, my parents are just a bit crushed as the idea was that we would all be together for the special occasion

It is very OTT but points to wider mental health issues.

Is the holiday in Yemen?

It depends on where you are thinking of booking.

For goodness sake! This sort of approach hands any enemy, real or imagined, a huge win. Get on with your life. You could drop dead tomorrow. People in Ukraine are still getting on with it in the midst of a full scale invasion.

The only cure for this is to avoid the news and delete social media

If news is really important, she'll just hear it from someone else

Made me chortle

Did she lose an expensive holiday because if the quite sudden COVID restrictions.
I work in the holiday industry and )just personal experience) I have definitely noticed more people leaving things to the last minute/ reluctant to book ahead.

We are looking at going to Greece!

It’s not that silly. Travel insurance doesn’t cover acts of war.

Passenger jets have been shot down by warring militaries even recently.

Iran shot down aUkrainian passenger jet, flight #752, in 2020 because they thought it was a U.S. missile. Iran and US are trading missiles right now.

Ethiopia shot down a plane carrying Covid aid in 2020 as well.

Russia shot down Malaysian flight #17 in 2014

Of you are flying within the EU or west, no worries, but any flight path that goes East past Greece, I’d avoid right now and keep in mind the #7 isn’t lucky.

In Yemen 😂😄

@SummerFeverVenice i appreciate that but she went on holiday last year to Greece and the Ukraine war etc was going on then.

agree US and Iran trading missiles is not good at all, but I just think it’s a bit of an overreaction in her part. It seems to have come after all the talk of conscription recently

Wtaf?? #7?? Oh my god, someone hadn't been sticking to a dry January have they ....

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen will need additional insurance I believe

The only one of those I remember getting shot down the 2014 one, as I was in the rock and roll hall of fame in Ohio when I read the news.

though the one shot down in Iran answers my questions of why ba didn’t fly over Iraq when I went to Dubai in January/February and march.

also I always thought 7 was a good number. Though my favourite number is 13, so maybe I’m misguided.

i think as long as you’re not going to Yemen or Palestine or similar you’ll be fine. Part of my (non blood related) family lives and travels to and from Iraq, so most of the Middle East isn’t life threatening. I’m not saying go on holiday to Iraq, or even the uae.

greece you’ll be fine.

i don’t believe in this imminent threat of war bollocks. And as a teenager I was mightily anxious about super volcanos and nuclear war. Now I really couldn’t care less. So while I wouldn’t worry about holiday destination or war, I would definitely be worried about your sisters mental health. As that was the issue when I was teenager.

The only cure it to deal with the anxiety ignoring news is just a bandaid

Out of all the places in Europe Greece won’t be one id go to by choice right now too. Too much happening nearby for comfort.

Sorry but if this is what she is like now, can’t imagine she will be a barrel of laughs on holiday. Go without her - her loss!

We will if it comes down to it, my parents are just a bit crushed as the idea was that we would all be together for the special occasion

Holiday in UK / somewhere that is a ferry crossing away / a cruise?

What's the trip? Is it a villa or something where you can book so there'll be space for he if she wants to book a last minute flight at the time? And hopefully get a bit of help with her mental health in the mean time.

This would make me extremely concerned if it were my sibling. What sort of support does your sister have for her mental health?

If it was financially doable I would book her a space so that if the time comes she will be able to come. I think since covid people don't think as rationally about these things.

Hmm. Tricky one.

Being alert to perceived threats is healthy for self-protection. What we're sensibly hardwired to do.

But taken to extremes definitely not.
(Though us feeling a lack of control over distressing events, and deep helplessness whilst world leaders arse around playing power games, is pretty understandable).

Until your sister's able and willing to work on the underlying anxiety, and assuming she won't take a total break from all media, maybe suggest she
restrict following news to a single bulletin a day to stay informed.

Via radio/audio only: visuals often leave such an impactful, distressing imprint.

From reliable, neutral journalistic sources. NOT from scaremongering social media with dubious agendas.

With autoplay off, so the algorithms don't overwhelm her with reinforcing the clickbait traumatic stuff in a constant loop.

And definitely no news just before sleeping.

Hope something can be sorted to suit your whole family asap.