What are my options with this mental health problem and does anyone else have this?

[Storybot]

Just for background I am currently on a course of steroids which have really hightened this issue for me and my brain a lot harder to control but I have always been highly sensitive to this stuff, empathy off the charts but funnily enough struggle with emotions when face to face with people (have read this could potentially be a sign of ADHD)

In recent months my brain just cannot stop thinking about bad things. I have to actively avoid anything negative but generally I am completely overwhelmed by the awfulness and suffering in the world, child and animal abuse in particular. Whenever I'm not busy my mind immediately wonders to awful things that have happened that I've read about or heard about, DH is aware not to mention anything to me re things along the news about war or climate etc. I have found short term ways to manage like listening to sleep podcasts when going to bed and trying to keep engaged with other things as much as possible. I've also started donating left over money each week to charities so I can at least feel someone out there is doing something good. But I overwhelmingly feel the world is bad, hate people, regret bringing a child in to this world.

I came off sertraline last year which I took for pnd. I don't feel depressed, I can get up and go to work and socialise but anything can trigger these thoughts. I don't want to take antidepressants again, mainly because I can't deal with the initial side effects. I don't understand how everyone doesn't feel this way with what's in the news tbh. What can I do as it's dominating my mind and it's bloody miserable

I have this. It's OCD manifesting in intrusive thoughts.

I'm medicated, on paroxetine and it resllt makes a difference.

And, as someone else said, looking for those little good moments in life. My algorithm in tiktok for example, is now all lovely dog videos, a random bloke who rolls out red carpets in the middle of the street and films people walking over them, focusing on the smell of the sea, the sounds of the birds, and basically looking for those little lovely moments. It sounds clichéd and it can be hard, but I promise it makes a big difference.

I don't avoid the news because I feel that wraps me up in a bubble and could potentially surprise me if something happened, but I limit it. I love social media and enjoy looking at holiday photos and cute kid pics from my friends because it reminds me for all the shit in the world, people are still living their lives and have happy moments.

I also (and this is really tough because I'm generally quite anti social!) But I always smile at people as I pass them, day good morning, complement people and the like...I figure if I can just do something little to make someone else's day a bit nicer, it makes the world just a tiny tiny bit better

I do feel much better when I keep busy and social, which goes against my whole personality usually! But the less time on my own with my thoughts the better.