Do You Worry About The World?

About climate chanjge, ecological destruction, overpopulation, war, erroding human rights, pending collapse of economy and society, in short "doom"?

I do. I'm wondering how normal or abnormal that is.

Is it an expression of PTSD or is ot a natural response to a dying world and suicidal species that I am pathologising as a form of denial?

Edited to add: I dont mean i burden myself with saving the world. I worry about my personal survival. I worry about seeing and experiencing horrors. My closest friends have evacuated their homes walking by tanks on the road, or been caught in burlap and thrown into prison for nothing, or been hungry and reduces to eating wild grass. My worldview is different because of it, even though my life has been suburban and middle class and pretty sheltered. I was thirty five before I knew an AMERICAN who had seen war outside her AMERICAN window as a child. She was urban and African American of course. The freaking National Guard was shooting at her dad. At her American born dad. My dad would have shot back too.

I am the one generating these apocalyptic thoughts, but why?

I used to. I used to be very into politics, followed the news closely, etc.

I am all about me now - I don't think in an inappropriate way, I am at worst over-compensating. I have enough problems, the outside world will have to care for itself.

In a word, yes.

Thank you for asking.

When at my deepest darkest despair and debilitated state of dysfunction, all of the above mentioned is never off my super-personal focus on self.

For me personally when I am annihilated, decimated, destroyed in my own being and there is seemingly nothing left of the self that I know and love --- all that outer world 'stuff' (for lack of a better word at the moment) is ever-present in my mind 24/7 weaving itself right with all the me-focus issues, fears, worries, panics, anxieties, terrors.

That's why, like Johnny as well, I have to turn my mind away from things like The News, TV, magazines, newspapers, any Help Save Our World variety newsletters, whatever. Because I just cannot bear any more input of all that and the images into my poor brain to try to process, to make peace somehow with, knowing full well the senselessness and utter nonsense of it all in the first place.

When I become better I can then have-a-peek highly-selectively at only a few trusted sites ( that being I know real people involved with the work, e.g. my email newsletters from real life persons at my fave 'charity' at Give monthly and help them live wild at heart | The Wildcat Sanctuary.

With the heartwarming, as well as often heartbreaking news from my animal activists friends ... I then over time can build up some emotional and mental muscle to have a look at some of my preferred, trusted humanitarian sites and what is happening there. Same for our Mother Earth and Father Sky concerns. I go to my vetted and trusted sources to learn what's the news on their fronts.

I simply cannot do The News such as it is either on tv, internet, newspapers, or magazines, online newsletters, blogs, etc. It is simply too much for PoorPrincess's already overloaded neurocircuitry. Thus I do what I can from the capacity that I am able. That's what I bring to each and every day. And somehow that has to be "good enough".

I certainly do not need to have my mind harping on me that I "should be doing more" toward this or that end or ideal or need in the world. While it is that if I cannot "save my self" what can I truly have sustainably to offer unto something greater which I do care about all my life? We are each/all parts of the greater sum of the whole anyway. If only we could keep mindful of that.

Thanks for asking, Teacake. Great questions, good thread.

Respectfully,

PoorPrincess

Hell yes.

At this point, climate change is a fact. We've tipped past the point of no return and there's very little to do but batten down the hatches for the oncoming storm. Which essentially comes down to take care of yourself, put your oxygen mask on first. Move to high ground.

Yeah, avoid the news as much as you can. It's rarely good news and it won't help you feel better. Instead go to sites like cute overload and lolcats/loldogs etc.

I wish I could achieve that. I hoped Prozac would help. I know i need to focus on myself. I get distracted all the time, like I said in another thread, I see the cortisol bellies and feel frightened. Who are they? Where have they come from? What has happened there? Is it following them Here?

Hypervifilance or psychoticism? Do i need to tune in to intuition more closely or take Abilify and hope it shuts up?

I worry about how human beings can be very selfish at times when it comes to others, the world and the nature in the world and overall health of the world that provides us all a "home" for our existence.

The problem with human beings is once something becomes a part of their existence, they become dependent and entitled and can quickly lose sight of a bigger picture of how "harm" can take place. There never seems to be enough that "do" care and are actually willing to make a stand, not for their own gain, but for that gain of the "many", which also includes other living things on this amazing planet we all share.

I don't worry about things as much as when I was younger. I'm concerned, but I don't dwell on it. When I was young I kind of wanted to save the world, lol. I don't watch the news anymore. I can't afford to be triggered by it. The horrible things people do to each other and to animals upsets me a lot. I want to focus on myself for now and maybe I can contribute somehow when I'm better. I only have enough energy for myself.

I must be older than you. I've survived to reproduce. I've wondered If we wont see people my age walking off cliffs like lemmings. I have no desire to scrap for higher ground with the other scrappers.

I used to keep up with it but quit a few years ago. I just wanted to start focusing on the positive. There's so much negative stuff on the news. I don't want to be blind to it, but there's not really a whole lot I can do anyway. Just dealing with myself and my own life keeps me beyond stressed.

Do I?

With war on my continent onces again, in places I visited and knowing good people I care about are stuck there?

Hell yes.

And turning off the news and looking at lolcats won't do in my case. Poorprincess makes a good point going to sources that aren't ZOMG!SENSATION!WE!ALL!GOING!DIE! and rather talk about what is actually happening. (and they do provide good news too. Peace treaties are signed. Schools are build. There are brave humanitarians who'll go to war zone to help those who need it. There are good people who do good things every day. There's acts of real courage. That gives me hope).

For me this is not about "saving the world" (although not giving up on that yet)... but some things matter. And some worries seem very real.