[Gettingitsoon]

Im certain I'm not alone.
Its impossible to avoid hearing and seeing and reading coverage of the turmoil happening in the US.
Protests, shootings, everything seems to be escalating.
The election coverage makes me angry. (I dont want to turn this into a political discussion.)
Im so upset by the horrible negativity by both campaigns.
I cant believe these are the choices for president. The best this country has?

Ive found that when I explain my anxiety, T mostly jumps in to it. I guess its validating that Im not alone. But its feeding my anxiety not helping diffuse it.
I can try to avoid the topic but kind of hard since its pretty much pervading my life.

Not sure where im going with this. Maybe just letting it out.

[Lostislost]

You are definitely not alone. The news is making my anxiety so much worse. Everything seems to be happening at once. Do you do any kind of meditation? I find I can get some peace with that if I manage to go in to myself and make some space to accept all my thoughts and anxieties.

Or being in the garden and around animals helps a bit, they have no idea what's going on and I'm grateful for that.

[Gettingitsoon]

Ive havent been successful with meditation. My mind just won't quiet.

We recently moved to a new house on a lake. It is tiny but has a nice deck overlooking the water. It can be helpful to just zone out there and listen to the birds and watch the chipmonks and squirrels.

This year I was able to grow a few flowers for the first time. Even pulling weeds is a distraction.

Sleeping at night is still an issue. I can fall asleep but almost always wake after a few hours.

I'm considering how to talk with T about the way she responds to me with all this world stuff. Its so intense and out of my control I really need help with it.

[Omers]

I have been dealing with something like this very intensely the past month. My art therapist is all warm, fuzzy and validating and increases my anxiety off the charts. My regular T is an awesome container. He gives me space to share my concerns, then we talk about the emotions and intensity of the emotions then he seems to almost magically pack them up into a bankers box and put them on the shelf until we have a way of doing something about it.

[Gettingitsoon]

Omers, your bankers box sounds wonderful!

[Omers]

It sounds like T’s way of validation might be too much adding to your dis regulation. Could you get a box or other container, ask T to write your fears as you share them and put them in the box for safe keeping until something can be done? ONE fear per paper kept as short and precise as possible. Then, when you are ready you can take ONE out and talk about what you can do to control the anxiety? For example, one I can relate to is the increase in violence. My H and I moved from a dangerous part of town to a very safe, small community with low crime and most crime being petty crime by bored teens. Now we are seeing both organized and violent crime. Recently a neighbor was badly hurt in a break in and it upset me. I looked at what they did and realized they pulled their car all the way into his driveway and parked it. So I put a saw horse at the end of my drive each night. It is only a minor deterrent but I sleep better knowing I have done one small thing to be safer.
It also sounds, by the examples you are sharing, that your anxiety may be an expression of compassion fatigue... like you feel everyone’s feelings, understand all sides (may not agree but understand and feel for them) and it wears you out? So rather than talking to T about the anxieties it might help to talk to T about strategies for coping with compassion fatigue and then you don’t have to talk about the specific stresses.

[Gettingitsoon]

Thanks for your response Omers. I think the box idea to focus on smaller specific issues is a good one. It might help me and T to contain my tendency to drag in everything all at once.
And get nowhere.

Compassion fatigue. I havent heard that description before.
Im a retired health care worker. Mother of two.
Caring for and about others has always been part of my life. Now I feel helpless faced with the enormity of problems in our country and world.
Doesnt seem enough for me to care only for my little clan and immediate community.