Watching the news, too tough for me to handle

I am watching the news about the gunman who killed the children and adults in Connecticut. How do we deal with this? I am a parent, I am a teacher, and I am also a person with a mental illness. With all of these definitions, I still can't find sense or sanity with what happened today. I saw this happen at my college, Virginia Tech, a few years ago, and now at the elementary school in Connecticut. I am not scared, I am just wondering how, what, and why? How do we stop this kind of behavior?

Bluemountains

i saw this on the news too.

shocking..

some people are just sick

really hope you're feeling okay- i know some news items can be particularly hard to handle.

for me... the miners trapped underground had me crying for ages- and i couldn't watch it eventually

Sometimes its hard to understand why and how things like these can happen and its so unfair with what happened yesterday to all those children and adults. I heard about what happened late afternoon and listened to the presidents speech before i heard the full story in the car. Once returning home i flipped on the tv to see it on every news channel. After hearing what happened i was in shock. I immeditaly began to pray for all those people affected. My fiance then later watched a whole hour about it on a certain news channel and i was in tears the whole time. I couldnt take it anymore and asked him to please change it. I know this may sound sick to some, but I feel sorry for the man who killed all those people, as well as feeling sorry for all the families who had to endure such a tradegedy. Some of us suffer from far worse mental illness than others and yet are still capable of pulling off such organized plans resulting mostly in harming other people before themselves. It is sick and sad but i do feel sorry that such people dont find the help before commiting such hateful crimes. Im not saying that it was ok for someone to do something like that because theyre sick..never is it ok. Im saying i feel sorry that someone has to reach that level and feel its ok to do whats happened. Not alot of many people will look at the man and think he was sick..many of mental ill people get overlooked alot and then go on to do such hurtful things to themselves and to others. I have deep sympathy for the victims and all involved in this situation. Theyres really not much we can do to change moments like these. Changing gun laws, maybe, but not sure how thats going to stop people from still buying guns off the streets. Police have changed the way in which enetering buildings when school(big public) shootings happen since columbine. I think its a much better course of action to take in such a matter but in most cases lots are already dead or wounded. Ive never had to go through such a tradegedy am im soo sorry you have. I apologize if anything ive said is offensive to anyone on how i feel about the situation. It has my heart yearning for all those people, yet too filled with anger. Im glad you posted this thread as i needed an outlet, for its been on my mind all night. I couldnt sleep so finally decided to get up. Its a rough situation 360 around and leaves most on the outside asking why. But only God knows why and myself personally would like to believe that i have no right in asking him why. Only on how to help others so that moments like these dont happen again or around me. Again i would like to apologize if my post offends or upsets anyone. It is my opinion though that everone deserves equality.

Blue
I don't think something this horrific can be explained.
It is just senseless.

Bluemountains, I don't have any answers. I send wishes for comfort and support to all who suffered loss ... I feel gratitude for my many blessings ... and I don't go beyond that.
I'm a bipolar alcoholic, and one of my coping skills is knowing when to let go and let god. This is all so beyond me, trying to deal would surely push me over my "edge."
Please take best care of you.
Roadie

Yeah I agree there is no explaining what happened no excuses nothing. This gunman must have been a really messed up person to do this. It's a tragedy for sure.

Just like with 9/11, I've had to turn off the TV and avoid news websites for the time being. Let them work their way through the investigation without the constant repetition, and once they have all of the facts and figure out his motive I will listen to get closure.

I just can't handle seeing and hearing all of this over and over.

9/11 sunk me into depression, even though I did not know anyone who was there or anyone with family members there.

This event has me sinking, so I knew for my own self-care I must pay attention to other things right now.

I'm not burying my head in the sand or ignoring current events. I'm taking care of myself.

Meanwhile, we're not yet sure if mental illness had anything to do with this.

I've seen a lot of Facebook posts saying things like, "If treatment for mental illness was as easy to get as guns, this wouldn't have happened."

I'm not looking forward to the possibility of mental illness being put in a negative light, if it had anything to do with this.

We're not all murderers. Don't lump us all together. Know what I mean?

Pray, without fear, like I know you already are doing Blue. Whatever all our different beliefs may be. Prayers, blessings, of protection, of the light of Christ, the light of love to be more fully anchored on this planet. This is an intense time and so much we can't see.

Thanks, everyone. I know none of us have answers. I don't know if the gunman had a mental illness. I do know that he had a mental problem at the time. Can signs be identified beforehand?
Yes, Blue, I do pray. Where is goes, or how it is answered, I am not sure. I pray for those mothers who woke up to a normal day, sent their babies off, and now suffer so much from this tragedy.
Like you, Roadie, I am bipolar with addiction genes. I know that I have to stay away from drinking, especially during times of tragedy because my depression kicks in and goes sky high. This is what happened with the Virginia Tech shootings, and it took me only a few days to give up the drinking, but several months to get my stability back.

These types of tragedies are part of the reason why I won't "come out of the closet" with my mental illness.

Bluemountains

This tragedy just kills my soul. I have 3 grandchildren in elementary school, two of them in kindergarten, and I cannot even fathom what it must take to look into the innocent eyes of a five-year-old and then raise a gun......NO, it isn't comprehensible, and we can't lay everything on mental illness. There is true evil in the world, and we saw it yesterday in the slaughter of those precious babies. May God keep them in His care and comfort their families!!