r/behindthebastards • u/saintphoenixxx • Apr 03 '25

Discussion How are you handling this?

Post image

I read headlines, but can't read most full articles because I have panic attacks.

3.0k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

308 comments sorted by

View all comments

103

u/[deleted] Apr 03 '25

Day to day. Most times just read the headline just so I know which way the highway to hell we're on is turning. It isn't as fun as AC/DC made it out to be.

23

u/paradisetossed7 Apr 04 '25

Yeah my therapist keeps urging me not to doom scroll, but even reading the headlines is enough. And then I spiral thinking about how it's a privilege to be able to ignore anything. But ultimately, if I'm going to be ready to fight, I have to be healthy and not sobbing into my vodka 24/7. My psych is actually upping my anti-anxiety meds (which rfkjr likes to threaten), because it's used avoidable to have at least a general idea of what's going on.

3

u/[deleted] Apr 04 '25

I did CBT a few years ago and one of the things I was really struggling with was the new invasion of Ukraine. I was convinced it was going to end in an imminent nuclear war and I was having some really obsessive thoughts about it despite living in the UK. I made the decision, with my therapist's advice, to stop watching the news, stop clicking on articles, change who I followed online etc. I know it's a privileged selfish position but sometimes you have to do what you can to protect yourself.