Overwhelming anxiety at the state of the world

[AIBUfamilydrama]

I’ve been experiencing some horrific anxiety lately in relation to the state of the world. It sounds so silly, but I’ve never felt this anxious before, it’s awful and I had a panic attack last night which I’ve never had before. I’ve lost a fair bit of weight just from worrying, sometimes to the point of being sick, and I’ve become scared of silly things like the dark and being on my own.

I have two young children, and I almost can’t bear to look at them because I keep imagining how terrible their futures will be, or that they won’t even have a future.

I can barely sleep, eat, focus and keep just bursting into tears. Horrible thoughts just keep popping into my head that I can’t get rid of.

I was so happy since my children were born, and then someone had the news on that I couldn’t get away from, just so much stuff with climate change, AI and COL, and now I feel like I’ll never be okay again.

I don’t know what to do. I just want to feel better again.

Honestly be ignorant and don’t watch the news any more. That would be my first point of call. I stopped watching the news years for similar reasons. I found it affected my mood.

All of your anxiety is around what you can’t control. Have you spoke to the GP? Willing to try medication or talking therapy?

You can normally self refer for talking therapy which could help massively.

You need coping mechanisms to control the thoughts and worry which sounds like are quite extreme and you need some additional support with

I often feel the same way. It is utterly overwhelming sometimes, counselling isn't a bad shout but personally I fond distraction is the best thing, find something you're passionate about be it dance, football, running, art whatever and go regularly. You can't be thinking about the state of the world whilst desperately trying to remember a dance routine, honestly it really does help you to get out of your own head, get out in nature, read a fiction book. It's not gonna solve the big problems but it might help you get through the day

Did you not have any of these thoughts before you decided to have children?

This is so unhelpful

Thanks for kicking me while I’m down

OP, please approach your GP and get some help for your anxiety.

The world is a mess right now, undoubtedly, but it has been a mess at various points throughout human history. I guess each generation probably thinks that they face new and unique threats. The thing is, worrying about this stuff doesn't actually enable you to control anything.

It sounds like your anxiety has spiralled out of control, and you might need some help getting things back on track. In the meantime, avoid the news and find ways to distract yourself when your mind starts to race.

What a fucking dick remark.

I feel the same as you. As others have said, avoid the news as it doesn’t help. Try distracting yourself with something you enjoy. Take the kids on a day out and enjoy them and have fun with them. We can’t control the state of the world but we can enjoy our lives as we choose.

Imagine you were living at almost any point in time over the last, let’s say 4,000 years. Sadly war, brutality, death, disease - all these things have been the reality of life on Earth. People were still living lives, doing jobs and raising children in the midst of the Black Death, when vast swathes of the population, including were dying around them in the most awful ways.

Today has its own challenges, but if you had to spin a wheel that picked any moment in history for you to exist, I would still much prefer today than almost any date in history.

Stop watching the news altogether. Listen to music. Definitely go to your GP - there are some good meds for anxiety. There are a few apps that help with anxiety - Headspace is one. Also some people find CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy). It can help to ground you to the present. Breathing exercises can help with panic attacks. I also like T’ai Chi or anything that helps with deliberate movement and celebrates the physical earth and nature. Meditation can train your mind to focus on something else.

Thank you for the kind comments

I do often have mild anxiety but it comes and goes, I can manage it and have never needed medication for it.

I never normally watch the news, and I’ve been doing all the usual things, they’re just not really helping. Maybe in the moment but yesterday we went for a lovely long walk and it did help but as soon as we got in the car to go home, it all just instantly came flooding back.

It feels like I’ve been told my children are going to die, and soon, and it’s all I can think about.