I wondered about sharing this because it’s potentially divisive but I learned a very belated lesson on mental health and MN. Basically, I have PMDD with terrible weeks of low mood and depression. In a low point, in about 2018, I chanced across a thread on MN about the risk of a no deal Brexit, and the awful civil unrest, food shortages, power outages, job losses that posters were sure would happen. It really got to me and I was living in genuine fear for months. I am a highly educated, rational person, but it just sent me mad in a vulnerable moment and I went completely off the deep end and had very very dark thoughts. It went on for months and months and I was convinced my life and my kids lives were ruined. Obviously no deal didn’t come to pass so you could say that could have all happened, but it taught me a lot about the extremes of opinion you can find in the news and on forums in particular. I have made a very conscious effort not to allow this to happen again with Covid . This thread is a huge help. I am now much more careful with thinking is it news or opinion; about not doom scrolling, and self care. Papers want you to be scared, and so do some posters. Some people are terrified themselves and they are sharing their anxiety but it can turn into a giant cluster of fear, and gets taken advantage of by cynical people who casually say devastating things.
Sorry for the long ramble. Hope it’s not too miserable- I honestly mean to help and remind people not to let their guard down mental health wise.