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