I can't deal with how evil the world is

[MoeAnna]

I just can't.

I stupidly started to watch the Madeleine documentary and the 2nd episode with the 11 year old Portuguese boy.

I just broke down.

I'm now in my room sobbing and drifting I a Nd out of pabick attacks

How can people do this

How do I keep my children safe and let them learn independence too

How do I sleep knowing there are children suffering so badly. Wanting their mummies.

I just can't deal with it

I'm sorry. I just have no where else to voice this. I just feel so shaken and sick

The world isn’t evil. A very small number of people may be.
There are those who work tirelessly to make the world a better place. Some are paid and some volunteer.
Unutterably shit things do happen. But some bloody amazing and beautiful things do too.

Well, don’t watch. You knew what the story was. You can’t change it, so what’s the point of putting yourself through it?

Why don’t you focus on giving a regular donation to the charity of your choice and learning how to help your dc grow up to be independent?

You do realise how very rare it is for a child to be abducted, don’t you?

I'm not well. I don't know why I watched it. I'm stupid.

Everyone was talking about it

My anxiety revolves around this type of thing

I've taken my meds but I can't rationalise right now

I posted in mental health for a reason.

Can you think of 5 good things. Be it people or actions or stunning places etc etc.
Do you practice mindfulness?

I've wanted to learn mindfulness techniques for a long time.

It's something I should do

I'm sorry I fell really stupid for posting this now

I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight. I can feel it

I am quite strict about policing what I watch now, as I know certain things will make me anxious. I’ve studiously avoided most of the Christchurch coverage and having read a bit about this Netflix thing, I won’t watch it either. Do you think you could start taking a similar approach? I appreciate this won’t help you with how you are feeling right now, but I certainly feel much better for making this choice.

I also try to make a point of noting good things that happen - the man that stood outside the mosque in Manchester yesterday, to ‘keep watch’, things like that. It helps remind me that we often only hear about the terrible things, and that there are so, so many more good things happening - we just don’t hear as much about them.

Moeanna dont, i understand. I get so paranoid about DD its unbearable occasionally. I have to actively work at 'letting it go'. I honestly am put off having further children because im not sure i could handle another source of paranoia :/

Don’t feel stupid and don’t feel sorry. You have recognised that this is your anxiety. Now you just need a plan.
Watch a comedy?
Find the most stupid jokes you can?
Research the most beautiful beaches in the world?
Distraction is key for now.

I'm the same OP.

Absolutely break over news stories. I'm a long way into the mental health services and am bona fide mad though

The only way I get through life is to NOT LOOK. I don't read papers, news articles, nothing. I turn over when the news comes on the TV or radio. I have to stay entirely ignorant.

I won’t watch the MM documentary, I can’t even read about it.

I made the mistake of watching the Michael Jackson - Leaving Neverland. It made me sick.

Since becoming a parent I can barely even read the news.

I know this isn’t helpful, but I feel the same as you. I think we just have to learn to block it out- don’t read or watch these things. Like someone else has said- it’s incredibly rare.

I will probably always be a ‘helicopter’ parent but I don’t care if it means keeping my daughter safe.

Hope you are able to get some sleep.

I'm honestly usually so good about avoiding such things

I think because it happened such a long time ago and I got it into my head that it was an accident closer to home that ovcoured I didn't even think that the documentary would take that turn

I honestly don't know what I was thinking because I avoid stuff like the plague

I just let my guard down and now that poor little boy is in my head

It will take a few days but you will be okay. I think anyone watching that kind of thing is going to be troubled by it- you are human and not the only one. I was just thinking the exact same thing when reading the MM thread and then I saw you posted this thread.

I am the same.

I refuse to watch these programmes as it’s just too difficult for me.

I feel abnormal as my OH gets excited and wants to watch them together. But they don’t bring me any joy or interest. Only sadness and fear so what’s the point.

I also avoid any other sources of sadness like news. I feel ignorant at times but it’s 100% my coping mechanism. I often have no idea what people are talking about but I don’t want to.

If I do catch myself becoming involved in a new story I will be filled with fear and anxiety sometimes to the point I don’t want to leave the house. I just accepted that this is me. Most people regard me as being quite sensitive and so I view myself as abnormal in this respect. So it’s nice to know I’m not alone.

It's normal to have traumatic reactions to things in the media at times, I have to force myself not to look at certain things. These charity adverts got me really upset before Christmas, I donate to two now every month and I refuse to watch the rest. If I see anything on Facebook with dying children or child abuse my reaction is gut wretching. I literally have to scroll past quickly as the more time you invest into reading about something you can't change the worse you feel. Sometimes looking the other way is truly best if you can't do anything about it.

Honestly though the best thing you can do for your MH is to accept that the world has good and bad people, however I don't personally know anybody that's ever been kidnapped and gone missing and the majority of us don't either. That in itself means it's extremely rare. Your allowed to feel emotions too, try allowing them and they will naturally subside by themselves (I had severe anxiety for ten years and this was by far the biggest thing that saved me). What you resist, persists. What you allow yourself to feel, you will let it go. When we are anxious we get so scared of the state we are in we try to shut out feelings incase they become unbearable, but it's the shutting out that creates the panic and overwhelm. It's the same for sleep too, the minute you worry you can't sleep and try and force it, sleep becomes difficult. Hope I don't sound patronising, I know how awful anxiety and panic is

I'm guessing your children are safely asleep upstairs?

Concentrate on that.

You only have to raise them and protect them one day at a time. You won't suddenly find yourself standing between them and all the evils of the world, sci-if style.

I know what you mean about that boy's - awful, sickening - story (and other stories) being unexpected in the documentary, but you'll just have to steer clear of anything at all in that ballpark if it shakes you this badly

I think most people feel the same we are bombarded with bad news. I am careful what I watch and read, I am not going to spend my life worrying about shadows as this is how the world politics have shaped themselves recently playing in fear.

I am trying to do one kind act a day whether this is a charitable donation, generally thoughtful or being kind to someone.

Something to shift the world view that this isn't a bad place to be. Most people are kind and will help if asked.

Do you still feel this way about the world I wonder ? I’m now 21 and have realised I cannot sleep at night so have had to turn to night shift work. But even when I’m working my very hard job and every day life I get distracted by the evil that’s going on in the world , especially to animals … I cannot stop obsessing over it. I’ve been on Sertraline for 3 years, that hasn’t helped , I’ve had talking therapy, that hasn’t helped, I fear I’m a lost cause and a waste of life because I cannot be helped out of these thoughts ! I’m so amazing at giving advice but I can’t take it !