Every news item like this makes me angry

I really can't take it any more.

It's getting to the point where reading the news -- even just the headlines -- is deepening my grief and making me angry at the world.

I missed the opportunity to have a child of my own, due to various circumstances. I really wanted one. And then I read headlines where mothers do terrible things to their babies, to their kids, like this:



Unspeakable things. Murder. Abuse of all kinds.

And I keep thinking "Why me? I know that even if I made mistakes, wasn't the 'perfect' parent, I could have done so much better!"

But I'll never get the chance to have my own kids. And adoption is not likely to happen either.

I realize in some cases, women who did awful things were suffering with severe postpartum depression. I feel badly about that, and wish they were better.

But in others... I have no idea what happened, and I wish I could have been there at a critical moment and rescued that child from a horrible fate.

I'm sad. And the violence that children experience -- especially at the hands of people who are supposed to love and nurture them -- makes me even sadder and angrier. (I was abused growing up, and swore to myself I would not treat other people the way I'd been treated.)

I don't know how to get past my anger and related grief when these articles are all over the news. I don't want to stop reading the news entirely just to avoid these items, so I've got to somehow find a way to deal with the grief and anger that comes up.

AnomalousCarrotCake, I can understand how you feel. I also have a similar problem in that I can't stand to see animals abused or even hear about their sad stories so when I see that news feature is going to contain that, I quickly flip the channel as I can't stand to even look or hear about it. I don't have kids either, by choice but I also can't stand to see children hurt as I was abused as well. Try to avoid those articles the best you can as it sounds like it is something that you will always be triggered by. We all have our sensitivities so I do the best I can. I am sorry that you were not able to have a child. I hope that you can find some solace. Best wishes.

Thanks. Most of the time, the headline is enough to trigger me. But sometimes, like an idiot, I click and actually read the article. I have no clue why. It's as if I want to be angry, want to revisit my sense of loss or something? I don't understand why I do what I do, sometimes.

I hope somehow I can move forward, and live with the reality that in some things, there are no second chances. It bites, but there it is.

I think it would be easier to grieve and release the pain I feel and be able to move on, too, if I felt like my life was headed towards something positive. Lately, it hasn't, and I've had more losses (family deaths) to absorb in the past several months. So I'm experiencing depression, along with compounded grief.

It sounds like you are experiencing a lot of loss in a close period of time. You may be in a part of the grieving process and anger is one of them so be gentle with yourself and time may be your friend right now. If you need to get angry, then do. Just don't let yourself be there for too long. If you need to cry, then do that as well. Everything has it's time. Depression and grief are so difficult to manage together so you are going through a double dose of difficulties. I also have depression and when I lose someone it seems to hit me much deeper and it seems to take me longer to handle it in an effective way. I just lost a friend and I seem to be in different stages of grief all over again and this is common. I wish you comfort.

i know exactly how you feel. those stories make me furious beyond belief.... for that reason and others, i try to avoid them.

I think you need time away from the world of news and headlines. Also when you look at the news in general, it's mostly doom and gloom. I hope your able to take a break from it all and come back refreshed and stronger.