Horror over unwanted thoughts

[FlatWhite2]

Ever since I became a mum, I feel like stories of pedophilia & child abuse are all over the news. I know they always were but since becoming a parent every detail absolutely haunts me. Every time I go on Instagram I am met with some horrible story or case and I cannot shake the information from them. I don’t know why I’m posting on here, perhaps looking for some perspective that in actual fact these monsters are not that common and do not surround me in every day life. I just can’t seem to shake the feeling that these people are everywhere & it completes terrorises me. I do know how privileged this sounds, I was never abused and have never met anyone in that situation.

Sorry to hear you feel so vulnerable, OP. I think giving birth and the first phases of being a mother/child dyad are really vulnerable (and sometimes lonely) times.

It sounds as though you're trying to process this mentally, but through an anxiety-driven thought loop that is making things worse. Some CBT might help.

Is there a way you can take charge of your mental environment? You've said that Instagram makes things worse. Do you have alternative connections that would be healthier and more supportive for you?

Thanks for your lovely message. I do think I’m in a loop of overthinking these things and then making it seem like it’s happening everywhere, all the time. I did try to stay off Instagram & deliberately didn’t click into anything on that subject so my algorithm changed & it didn’t give me so much of it but it still throws the odd thing in. I do think staying off social media would help, thank you

I have this too, started in pregnancy and I had to stop reading all news for my mental health. It’s awful and I feel for you. I haven’t found a solution other than the above I’m afraid but hopefully someone else will come along who can help. Sending virtual support.

Thank you, it’s good to know I’m not the only one. I wish I could go back to the way it was before kids, where news reports would disgust you but you could then never think of it again. I do think the more you think about it all the bigger the problem seems, there’s no way it’s as prevalent as it is in my head. Sending love

It's awful isn't it. Avoid the news like the plague. It was really really upsetting me and ruining things like bathtime or changing nappies because something so innocent to me reminds me of evil people out there get there kicks out of our most vulnerable young ones. I dont want to think about what these evil people do. It upsets me so so much that there's vulnerable innocents out there being hurt. Awful as it is you have to put it out your mind and hope the authorities get to the evil people.

@Wavescrashingonthebeach yes! You’re totally right, all the lovely innocent little moments are ruined by intrusive thoughts of what goes on. It’s just horrifying and in the back of your mind you know you’re wasting nice moments with your kids focusing on it. I just try to tell myself that most people are good and I’m thinking of an incredibly small number of people.

It's the same with animal cruelty and any cruelty really, just horrific to think about and unless you have direct power to stop it going on (which we rarely ever do, I'm talking about cruelty in general here) its best not to think about it. This subject just cuts deeper because well for obvious reasons. And it's sometimes quite difficult to articulate all this because it's such an awful subject. I don't even like saying the words related to it.
It was weird I didn't have this with my first, it was more intrusive upsetting thoughts that he might be in an accident, but with my second I've worried more about this.
All we can do is listen to our instincts and safeguard our kids as best we can!
Il be glad when mines out of nappies though and totally independent in that area!

And you are right most people are good. I do keep an eye on the local news though for the mugshots of the evil ones so I know if I ever see their face what they are!