Ww3 severe anxiety

[Scoobydoooo99]

I don’t know if anyone can help me, or I’m beyond help, in the last 24 hours this nuclear strike Russia and threatening the U.K. with if we supply more arms to Ukraine and at the same time liz truss states we will double down on more and harder weapons to Ukraine and Boris then chimes in any retaliation we will equally hit with our own, I am current sat on my bathroom floor crying because I can’t cope with the thought of nuclear war and what that means for me and my children, I don’t know what to do, how to cope if anyone could please help

I am 59 and joined CND in the 80s because the threat of nuclear war was so great in that era. My parents lived through the Cuban Missile crisis which came close to nuclear war.

There are lots of non nuclear options open to Putin which he hasn’t done yet. All the threats and counter threats are posturing and just words so far as the UK is concerned.

It’s concerning but your level of anxiety is out of all proportion. Please switch off the TV and book an appointment with the GP.

You need to see a doctor quite urgently as your anxiety is off the scale. A course of anti anxiety medication could help along with not checking out the news

My anxiety Is off the scale I’m well aware
of this, however it’s off the scale because I feel like a sitting duck waiting to slowly watch my family die of radiation poisoning any minute because as soon as we continue and start ramping up supplies that Putin firing from what he’s said, so I don’t think any anxiety medication will even have time to kick in tbh

I don't think the OP is being over the top - I've felt the same at various points. I think it's a normal reaction to the idea that you and your precious children are under threat.

This happened to me at the beginning. The GP gave me some diazepam to calm down at night but I only took one for a couple of nights. What you need to do is rationalise the news. It has helped me to research a bit into Russia's propaganda strategies. Sabre rattling like this is par for the course. The risk of nuclear war is still low, though we're closer than we've been before. At this point, what would Russia get from that? It isn't a useful move. Have faith in the high level stuff that is going on that we know nothing about. Try to choose hope over fear: assuming it will be alright does help, even though it's hard to do.

Don't feel like you're being irrational, I think it's rational to fear when you have so much to lose. But the future you are imagining is just that, a thought. We're not there right now, we might (please God) never be there. Take each day as it comes and try not to project

I think now is a dangerous time, I think Putin is unwell and power mad - and I think he would take the world with him

I didn't think that before, I don't suffer with anxiety and I thought it was normal political posturing until I watched him talk yesterday

He is unwell

As for overthrowing him - maybe they would, but there's no checks and balances like we have - he has ultimate power to send them

But there's nothing we can do so no point in worrying about it obviously

Thank you so much for your sincere reply, that actually brought me tears, I’m feeling like we are there and with no way back, this is what I don’t understand, we as the uk have all of a sudden overnight started making it worse and are calling his bluff in which I don’t care to risk.
I’m just really really struggling trying to stay away from the news, but can’t because I don’t feel ignorance is bliss at all, I would love to be one of those people like you know what.. there nothing I can do to which my husband is so won’t listen to my worries, I am a SAHM currently so I don’t have anyone to speak to

One more thing: remember that everybody is working hard to try to keep this in Ukraine. If Russia attacks NATO we're in a different situation but at the moment they are trying to keep the war in Ukraine and we are doing what we can to help Ukraine defend itself.

Christ! You do need to talk to someone ASAP. This catastrophising is really unnecessary.

Or you can read up on military tactics. They're all doing something called sabre rattling. Our govt will be getting advice from our defence experts and they've done a pretty good job of keeping people safe at home thus far. I immigrated here from a war zone and let me tell you you've always been at risk of terrorist attacks and nuclear attacks. The reason you have felt safe until now and large unaware is because the people in military and intelligence and counter terrorism do a damn good job of protecting you.

Your anxiety is off the charts and you do need a different coping strategy.

I suffer from anxiety, so this has been a big test for me as well - and I really sympathise with how you're feeling. I know you probably don't want this, or want to hear it, but CBT can really help with this. The worry is hypothetical - in that you can't do anything to practically prevent, influence or have any effect on it whatsoever. I hope you start feeling more balanced soon 🌻

It’s definitely because of the anxiety. I was exactly the same back in the period after 9/11 and there was a feeling that many things could kick off.

This time, I feel ok because I’ve been on SSRIs for 8 years. It can really help. I hope you feel better soon. If Russia nukes any country, it’s bye bye Russia. There is no win in that for Putin.

I personally have high hopes that the SAS are desperately trying to find Putin wherever he is holed up and they have a nice shiny bullet waiting with his name on.

i understand there has always been a risk, but not like this.. never this badly, and because we have so social media ect, the bad mouthing and threats and responses as being passed through the media at a quick rate for everyone to see so I don’t think it will be long before Putin know we are choosing to push russia out of Ukraine and send more weapons which he warned us about yesterday

The UK has excellent intelligence, there is an information war going on. All of these public statements are designed to be heard. We have to trust they know what they're doing. We are working with the US - their intelligence has been shown to be spot on. Remember that Putin's words are designed to frighten you, that's what they're meant to do. Russia still have lots to play with, there will still be off ramps. The worst case scenario is exactly that: there are multiple other realities that can happen in between. Unfortunately this whole situation has revealed a world much less stable than we assumed and that is a frightening concept, I don't think you're unreasonable to be this upset. But now is the time to assimilate to this new reality and start to dismantle it from the worst case scenario in your head. Like I said, there are other more likely scenarios and we will all collectively pray that we end up in one of them. Your children are lucky to have a mum that loves them so much, don't lose time with them by letting your anxiety pull you deeper. I say this is somebody who let it do that to me for a little bit xx

I have done CBT before at it was very
good, but unfortunately due to the pandemic everywhere around my area is chock a block with huge waiting lists, the same as the doctors
tbh

I understand op. I suffer with anxiety and I was worried at the beginning of the war and catastrophised about it in my head and verbalised this to my husband who basically tried his best to rationalise what I was feeling. Since that time I've hardly watched the news or read anything. But then here I a, on this thread 😂. I've also seen a few things in the news over the last coup,e of days which make me think things have ramped up a bit.

So I'll try and switch off again. It's the only way I cope.

This is exactly what I did, and then saw the news the other day and now things seem closer than ever and I have all these feelings and fear I don’t know what to do with because it’s a real threat

With respect you're 30, you have no idea if it's been this bad before! I was at secondary school in the 80's when we had public information films and leaflets delivered to every household about what to do in the event of a nuclear attack, none of that is happening now.

For us in the UK this is a war of words at the moment, Putin is sabre rattling at others have said. He is also reportably terrified of dying so won't want to bring nuclear retaliation into himself.

I really think you should take time to read up on previous wars, crises and the tactics the UK and NATO normally use. Of course Russia has to threaten us - they're not going to just invite us to carry on, are they. Do you really think a country like the Uk with one of the best military intelligence in the world are mavericks playing social media bait tactics???

You must understand the people framing our response know a helluva lot more of what the risks and dangers are than you do. It's actually the one thing you should have full faith in - the UKs ability to defend itself and be 2 steps ahead of other countries with military strategy.

It's shit, I understand you completely.
I have no pearls of wisdom for you. I do dip into the long running war thread on here in chat, and I find the majority of posters so informed, when these stories break I go to see what they are saying, and whilst I appreciate they don't know what will happen their calming voices and reason pulls me down a few notches.
A lot of what you read in the news is designed for clicks, so they make the headlines scary, a lot of posters here see through that and give background to the story you might otherwise not hear, if you haven't already I would have a look over there and see if they help you to calm a little.

It's a game of Willy waving. Little boys usually grow out of it. Unfortunately Putin didn't hit that development goal.

War with Britain is a game changer. Completely different ball game from invading a country that Putin thinks should be part of the Russian empire.

Here's the story I tell myself with these types of anxiety, which I have myself:

"I'm here, I'm happy, I'm alive. I have my child etc. etc. What would be the point in sitting in anxiety? How would that help me? It wouldn't, so why would I do it then? Why not live my life here and now and enjoy it? Will doing that cause a bad thing to happen? No, so why not do it?

Would focusing on the anxiety stop a bad thing happening? No? So why do it?

Live your life because there's literally no point in doing anything else. Why do pointless things?"

I think you should talk to your GP ASAP. Also (and I do mean this kindly) please, please do not allow your children to see you in such a state of panic. These are things you CAN control, geopolitics not so much, for any of us.

Thank you, I don’t speak about it around them or do anything to cause them any concern at all ❤️

Also I do have a question, I tried googling it but it wasn’t much help, our nuclear deterrent in the U.K.. I presume is Putin hit us the fires straight at him, his biggest nuke would clear more than London, but how much damage does our deterant have? Enough to seriously make him reconsider? 😳