Checking in... Anxiety about current events

[*Jessica*]

8 minutes ago, Choirfarm3 said:

So what can we do? 

I spend a good bit of my most anxious days with my Bluetooth headphones in listening to Brahms.  Classical music centers and calms me in a way that nothing else does.   

ETA ~ Like Pawz, not knowing what is going on would heighten my anxiety, but just listening to classical music while reading the news helps.

Edited January 10, 2021 by *Jessica*

[regentrude]

Just now, Pawz4me said:

That would heighten my anxiety exponentially.

Why? 

There is absolutely nothing any of us can do about any of the crap that is happening. Obsessing over hourly developments does not do any good - what do you do with that information?. Checking once or twice a day gives you all you need to know.

[Pawz4me]

Just now, regentrude said:

Why? 

There is absolutely nothing any of us can do about any of the crap that is happening. Obsessing over hourly developments does not do any good - what do you do with that information?. Checking once or twice a day gives you all you need to know.

Because it's the way I'm wired? I don't know. There is no "obsession" involved (and truthfully I kind of resent the use of such a loaded word). I just like to know. I feel better when I know. No one has any right to tell me how much (or how little) I need to know. 

But it's okay that you're different. Really. We aren't all the same. And that's okay.

[*Jessica*]

2 minutes ago, regentrude said:

Why? 

There is absolutely nothing any of us can do about any of the crap that is happening. Obsessing over hourly developments does not do any good - what do you do with that information?. Checking once or twice a day gives you all you need to know.

For me, I need to read (I read much more news than I watch) to make sure I understand.  I’m not good with just listening to a single newscast and their perspective, or reading the headlines and a couple of articles.  I need to see big news events, not the everyday non life-altering stuff, from a lot of angles and perspectives.  I need to research how history got us to that point.  Not knowing that stuff makes me far more anxious than reading the news does.  Sometimes, with big events, the anxiety is going to be high no matter what for me, I just have to choose the path with the least amount of anxiety.  

[regentrude]

8 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

Because it's the way I'm wired? I don't know. There is no "obsession" involved (and truthfully I kind of resent the use of such a loaded word). I just like to know. I feel better when I know. No one has any right to tell me how much (or how little) I need to know. 

But it's okay that you're different. Really. We aren't all the same. And that's okay.

I am sorry. I did not mean to offend. If it makes you feel better, great.

I just know that for many people, news makes the anxiety  worse, and a news diet is the first thing mental health professionals recommend for patients with anxiety.

[Pawz4me]

9 minutes ago, regentrude said:

I am sorry. I did not mean to offend. If it makes you feel better, great.

I just know that for many people, news makes the anxiety  worse, and a news diet is the first thing mental health professionals recommend for patients with anxiety.

No worries! I was probably too snippy, and for that I apologize.

Please see the response by @StillJessica above. I agree with everything she said, and she said it much better than I could have.

[Jean in Newcastle]

My personal response is to pray.  Pray to the God who I believe is not "American" (He created all races in all countries).  Pray to the God who I believe is not a Republican or a Democrat or any party.  And who is not a Captitalist vs. a Socialist.  I have some political opinions and vote accordingly but ultimately God is in charge of history. 

I am not (for the most part) anxious (because God has this and will lead us through it) but I am angry and frustrated at times.  I am especially angry at some church members who have conflated evangelical Christianity with a certain brand of politics.  I actually pray that God will have a "cleansing of the temple" in the American church.  While I don't conflate political opinion with Christianity, I do feel like outright lies cannot in any way be reconciled with my practical living out of Christianity and some of what I'm hearing esp. in the extremes of either spectrum is actual lies and not just opinion or interpretation. 

I've said before - I look for news sources that are as "neutral" as possible and which give good sources for their news.  And I go to Scripture itself for the principles that I live by.  I confess my sins (including sins of anger and anxiety) and I repeatedly go back to verses on trusting God with my life and happiness.  I do not participate in a lot of political debate - except for some here- but I don't just nod along in agreement either. 

[Not_a_Number]

32 minutes ago, Seasider too said:

However, I am old enough to have seen the White House occupied by both parties, and I am not on board with the doom and gloom of an administration of a different ideology than my own.

Depends on the ideology, no? Can you imagine an ideology that would scare you, as a thought experiment? 

[Janeway]

With all the riots, attacks, and violence that happened over the last year, I felt so much fear, anxiety, and emotional pain. I feel like what happened Jan 6 was nothing compared to the fear and pain I felt throughout 2020.  And considering the media black out in the area of the attacks on that day, I don't think we will know the truth for a long time about Jan 6, if ever. But I do not really care. What happened Jan 6 was nothing compared to the riots, violence, attacks, that happened last summer.

[Not_a_Number]

Just now, Janeway said:

With all the riots, attacks, and violence that happened over the last year, I felt so much fear, anxiety, and emotional pain. I feel like what happened Jan 6 was nothing compared to the fear and pain I felt throughout 2020.  And considering the media black out in the area of the attacks on that day, I don't think we will know the truth for a long time about Jan 6, if ever. But I do not really care. What happened Jan 6 was nothing compared to the riots, violence, attacks, that happened last summer.

How many people died over the summer? 

[Not_a_Number]

48 minutes ago, regentrude said:

Why? 

There is absolutely nothing any of us can do about any of the crap that is happening. Obsessing over hourly developments does not do any good - what do you do with that information?. Checking once or twice a day gives you all you need to know.

Well, I don't know about you, but I find that I integrate information I learn into how I live my life. It's how I'm wired as well. 

[Janeway]

1 minute ago, Not_a_Number said:

How many people died over the summer? 

Way more than from riots on January 6. And no one threatened to go in to neighborhoods and attack. My sister lives rights where businesses were being torn down and burned and people were being attacked. She still cannot get mail and is still working on repairs to her own home. 

[Drama Llama]

35 minutes ago, Seasider too said:

I lean towards Plum’s thoughts on this, personally. I think what’s gone on the past week is horrible, and I’d like to see someone disqualified from future political aspirations. However, I am old enough to have seen the White House occupied by both parties, and I am not on board with the doom and gloom of an administration of a different ideology than my own. I will focus on how I can serve well and honestly in my own sphere of influence. 

As someone who lives in a pretty liberal bubble, and heard a lot of gloom and doom in the fall of 2016, I have to say that those feelings seem pretty justified about now.  

 

[Not_a_Number]

Just now, Janeway said:

Way more than from riots on January 6. And no one threatened to go in to neighborhoods and attack. My sister lives rights where businesses were being torn down and burned and people were being attacked. She still cannot get mail and is still working on repairs to her own home. 

How many do we know of for sure? 

[Janeway]

8 minutes ago, kand said:

I understand. I think that’s a very human way to feel and I try not to berate myself for it. 

 

I’m not sure what media blackout you’re referring to. Could you clarify? What were you afraid of happening during 2020? 

In 2020,  I spent a lot of time in fear of BLM'ers coming in to the neighborhoods and attacking and harming people, which they did, just not my neighborhood. However, it did happen in my sister's neighborhood, which happens to be in south MPLS. Jan 6, people are reporting that in DC, cell phone coverage, even GPS, went completely out. On Jan 6, the riots lasted a few hours and I am not sure, but I have not seen reports of deaths from rioters attacking people.  However, BLM/Antifa is responsible for many deaths and vilence going back a while now, from the sniper in Dallas to Landen to Connor Hinnant, to everything. They even went to a homeless camp and attacked homeless people and burned the things of the homeless people.  Jan 6, I was never worried that any of those people were going to go in to neighborhoods or businesses and hurt people.

Edited January 10, 2021 by Janeway

[Drama Llama]

1 minute ago, Janeway said:

In 2020,  I spent a lot of time in fear of BLM'ers coming in to the neighborhoods and attacking and harming people, which they did, just not my neighborhood. However, it did happen in my sister's neighborhood, which happens to be in south MPLS. Jan 6, people are reporting that in DC, cell phone coverage, even GPS, went completely out. On Jan 6, the riots lasted a few hours and I am not sure, but I have not seen reports of deaths from rioters attacking people.  However, BLM/Antifa is responsible for many deaths and vilence going back a while now, from the sniper in Dallas to Landen to Connor Hinnant, to everything. They even went to a homeless camp and attacked homeless people and burned the things of the homeless people.  Jan 6, I was never worried that any of those people were going to go in to neighborhoods or businesses and hurt people.

Do you not consider police officers to be people?

Do you not consider the congressmen that the crowd was screaming about killing, to be people?  

[Lecka]

I was living in South Carolina when Obama was elected, and I feel like I knew a lot of people worried he would be assassinated before he could take office.  But then when he made it to the Inauguration people thought he would be okay.  
 

I have no idea if I’m remembering this correctly, I should ask my husband.  

[MercyA]

17 minutes ago, Janeway said:

On Jan 6, the riots lasted a few hours and I am not sure, but I have not seen reports of deaths from rioters attacking people.  

A police officer died because the insurrectionists beat him with a fire extinguisher.

[Pawz4me]

30 minutes ago, kand said:

I’m not sure what media blackout you’re referring to. Could you clarify? 

I’ve not read about any blackout, but I did read that at times some of the wireless towers were overwhelmed, and there were multiple reports of the insurrectionist thugs threatening news crews and preventing them from being able to do their jobs. 

[Pawz4me]

26 minutes ago, Janeway said:

I have not seen reports of deaths from rioters attacking people. 

Then you need to find much better news sources. Whatever you’re using is . . not good. 

[1234]

We broke our rule of watching news for hours on Wednesday but we’re back to not doing so now. Dh has been disgusted and angry much of the last four years but I’ve never seen him as angry as he was on Wednesday. He’s a veteran and what we watched (especially the Confederate flag being walked through the Capital) just crossed all the lines for him. So, I’ve been noticeably trying not to watch too much or talk of it too much right now. I do have anxiety about what might happen going forward but there’s not really anything I can do except pray.

[Ali in OR]

I'm thinking about the pandemic effect on polarization in this country. Part of me wants to say the pandemic has made it worse because we don't have in-person contact with people anymore. We've lost the need and practice of being gracious to one another, having to love your neighbor. Like we have church members on both sides of the politics issue, but we don't meet in person anymore. We don't have conversations after service, meet in small groups, pray for each other's needs. It's pretty easy to be rude, make sharp comments, and blast each other's views on FB--a bit harder in person.

But then I wonder if that's just my little world--I'm always surprised by how much in-person contact is going on elsewhere. In other states churches are still getting together, people go out to restaurants and bars, socialize in backyards, etc. So other than being one more thing to be polarized about, it's a bit hard to see right now how much pandemic plays into this.

[Ali in OR]

And about praying--you can pray and still be anxious. Philippians 4:6-7 ("Do not be anxious about anything...) has been my theme verse since my 23 year old first started having seizures at 2 months old. I try, but anxiety will still grip me at times. But never so much as since Nov 3.

Edited January 10, 2021 by Ali in OR

[MercyA]

4 hours ago, Choirfarm3 said:

Yes, I've tried to point that out. I've pointed out Biden is a staunch church attending Catholic. But even among my acquaintances that are doctors and  Catholic don't believe he is a Christian because he is for abortion.  

Okay, so here's the thing. The New Testament absolutely does make it clear that if a person claims to follow Christ but then consistently does xyz, it proves their profession to be false. But two things come to mind.

The first is this: taken in context, the "warning" Scriptures seem to have two legitimate uses: 1. self-examination ("examine yourselves, to see if you are in the faith") and 2. local church discipline. We are specifically told that our job is not to judge those "in the world" (i.e. in regards to their faith), but to leave that to God.

The second is this: I couldn't in good conscience vote for Obama or Clinton due to their positions on abortion. But I have to say, both men had evidence of a grasp of Scripture FAR beyond anything Trump has displayed. Remember, this is the President who couldn't name a single Bible verse, when asked, and who referred to 1 Corinthians as "One Corinthians." And I won't even go into the myriad of blatantly anti-Christian words and deeds that have proceeded from the man. And, you know, I can't read his mind. I don't know if he has repented or will repent of those things. I pray so. But it absolutely boggles the mind that conservative Christians somehow perceive him as being "one of us." 

[MercyA]

 

5 hours ago, Not_a_Number said:

How do I help? I already know it's not information that helps. But what can I do to help? 

 

4 hours ago, frogger said:

I am trying to figure this out myself. People seem to be immune to new info. I'm pretty sure it has to do with building trust through relationship, even when things they say make you want to bash your head into a wall,  which is dramatically harder than just spouting info.

My DH and I have talked about this a lot. He is probably the most skilled person I know at persuading people to change their minds when plain facts don't seem to help and cognitive dissonance is running strong.

Point of evidence: I used to be a pro-war political conservative who laughed at vegetarians, distrusted science, and thought anyone who wasn't a young earth Creationist was duped. My parents were the same and extreme conspiracy theorists to boot. For some reason my husband wanted to marry me anyway and worked on me--and my parents--for 20 years. 😉 We are all three quite different people now and I give him credit for a lot of that. (You all have had some influence, too. ❤️)

He has said many times that you have to be patient. You're not going to convince anyone in one conversation. They have to trust you and being willing to listen to you first. Don't leap into intense debate and hammer people with information they're going to immediately reject. Their cognitive dissonance will just make them shut down.

You want people to believe that changing their mind is their idea. 🙂 They will then have a vested interest in the information they are taking in. So, find areas of agreement or common ground, and then slowly and gently add new information to lead them in the right direction. 

If you can truthfully do so, say something like, "I absolutely agree that xyz is true. And do you know, I also read that [additional information related to xyz]..." Bits of information at a time, gently and calmly shared. 

Not_a_Number has very wisely said that you want people to move in a direction that is in line with their own values. So appeal to those values and share information, but don't expect immediate results.

Speak the truth and do it with kindness and good motivations (not just being right!). What people do with that truth is up to them.

Edited January 10, 2021 by MercyA

[Katy]

4 hours ago, Choirfarm3 said:

Yes, I've tried to point that out. I've pointed out Biden is a staunch church attending Catholic. But even among my acquaintances that are doctors and  Catholic don't believe he is a Christian because he is for abortion.  

You’re probably not going to change their minds, but for personal knowledge, these are the reasons it doesn’t matter to me, even though my faith matters more than anything else:

1) Abortion existed in biblical times. Women in the Roman Empire were well aware of which herbs would bring on a period when a baby was unwanted. Some of those plants were hunted into extinction. But there were no prescriptions about not using them in the Bible. Instead a woman wasn’t pregnant until she said she was pregnant. Plenty of rules about men not pulling out, because it was assumed that women wanted a child and if not something was very wrong. 
 

2) Most people who are pro-choice want to reduce abortions as much as possible too. Rates of elective, non-medical abortions go down more during pro-choice presidencies than in pro-life administrations.  Turns out access to free long term birth control and decent sex ed reduces abortions more than telling kids about abstinence. 
 

3) Abortion as a political issue was invented after Roe v. Wade by people trying to manipulate Christians into always voting Republican. Before that, political positions were generally considered private matters, and abortions were generally left between families and their doctors. 

[Frances]

2 hours ago, frogger said:

I guess this depends on whether you think the chosen leaders magically get to the top or if those unfit leaders end up there because of what is going on in society. It is hard for me to imagine Trump becoming President 20+ years ago because society was different. It comes down to which came first, the chicken or the egg. I saw our circumstances coming before I knew that Trump specifically was going to be president. 

I agree he was a long time in the making. But I also think he could have been stopped earlier by other elected officials in his party. It wasn’t just the populace that enabled and supported him. Suddenly lots of other elected officials got on board because they realized the votes and power they could gain and/or because they were afraid of losing power. Or because some were actually true believers. While some, especially former officials, did draw a line in the sand and stay firm, many did not. Fortunately more did it in 2020 and became more vocal about it. And even more are now jumping ship.

[Shoeless]

As for where to channel anxiety, I suggest writing to your elected congress people and letting them know your thoughts about January 6. I have written my 3 congress-peeps, and have already heard back from the Chief of Staff of one of them. 

People must be held accountable for their words and actions. 

[Not_a_Number]

20 minutes ago, MercyA said:

You want people to believe that changing their mind is their idea. 🙂 They will then have a vested interest in the information they are taking in. So, find areas of agreement or common ground, and then slowly and gently add new information to lead them in the right direction. 

If you can truthfully do so, say something like, "I absolutely agree that xyz is true. And do you know, I also read that [additional information related to xyz]..." Bits of information at a time, gently and calmly shared. 

 

I do try my best. I hope it does some good sometimes. It feels very frustrating, though.

[MercyA]

2 hours ago, Choirfarm3 said:

I wish I could do that. I just don't have enough faith. I've prayed. I continue to pray. And bad things still happen. I will never feel safe.

Gently: when did God ever promise that bad things won't happen and we will always be physically safe? Christ said, "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world." 

This life is but a breath, sister. Use your energy loving and serving other people. I'm reminding myself here, too. 

[MercyA]

2 minutes ago, Not_a_Number said:

I do try my best. I hope it does some good sometimes. It feels very frustrating, though.

You're freaking awesome. 🙂 

[Frances]

2 hours ago, Seasider too said:

I lean towards Plum’s thoughts on this, personally. I think what’s gone on the past week is horrible, and I’d like to see someone disqualified from future political aspirations. However, I am old enough to have seen the White House occupied by both parties, and I am not on board with the doom and gloom of an administration of a different ideology than my own. I will focus on how I can serve well and honestly in my own sphere of influence. 

Different ideologies don’t concern me too much as a moderate. But certain leaders certainly do and that goes for more than one. On the other hand, there are some leaders from the party I’m not registered with that I would love to be able to vote for right now for any position they wanted, as they have shown so much honor, integrity, character, and trueness to the values and morals they espouse.

[MercyA]

34 minutes ago, Katy said:

You’re probably not going to change their minds, but for personal knowledge, these are the reasons it doesn’t matter to me, even though my faith matters more than anything else:

1) Abortion existed in biblical times. Women in the Roman Empire were well aware of which herbs would bring on a period when a baby was unwanted. Some of those plants were hunted into extinction. But there were no prescriptions about not using them in the Bible. Instead a woman wasn’t pregnant until she said she was pregnant. Plenty of rules about men not pulling out, because it was assumed that women wanted a child and if not something was very wrong. 
 

2) Most people who are pro-choice want to reduce abortions as much as possible too. Rates of elective, non-medical abortions go down more during pro-choice presidencies than in pro-life administrations.  Turns out access to free long term birth control and decent sex ed reduces abortions more than telling kids about abstinence. 
 

3) Abortion as a political issue was invented after Roe v. Wade by people trying to manipulate Christians into always voting Republican. Before that, political positions were generally considered private matters, and abortions were generally left between families and their doctors. 

A quick alternative perspective to a couple of your points:

"Thou shall not kill" is a commandment often repeated in the Old and New Testaments and does apply, I believe.

There are no prohibitions in the New Testament regarding the use of birth control. The withdrawal method was negatively mentioned in the Old Testament, but Christians are not Jewish and not under the laws given to Israel.

Abortion, to me and many others, is not a political issue at all, but a human rights issue. 

I heartily agree that many Republican politicians are manipulative and dishonest in appealing to the pro-life vote while never doing anything substantial to end abortion and often acting in ways contrary to their pro-life profession as well.

Edited January 10, 2021 by MercyA

[Not_a_Number]

37 minutes ago, MercyA said:

You're freaking awesome. 🙂 

Well, I guess if I never convince anyone, at least I impressed some cool people 😉 . I’ll take it!! 

[Frances]

3 hours ago, Janeway said:

Way more than from riots on January 6. And no one threatened to go in to neighborhoods and attack. My sister lives rights where businesses were being torn down and burned and people were being attacked. She still cannot get mail and is still working on repairs to her own home. 

Maybe not in DC on January 6, but there have been plenty of “stop the steal” and “end the mandate” protestors going into neighborhoods around the country where governors, other elected officials, or even ordinary state workers live and making threats. Not to mention reporters being attacked and property damaged during protests, especially those in state capitals. And at least in my state, the Capitol is very close to both residential and commercial neighborhoods, so having lots of armed people protesting and/or marching with bursts of violence and property damage can be quite scary for those living, working, or running businesses in the vicinity. Here are just a few examples, I’m sure you can find more in other states if you are interested.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2020/11/07/us/election-results?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage#punches-fly-as-trump-supporters-dispute-election

https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2020/12/oregon-lawmakers-kick-off-third-special-session-of-2020-as-right-wing-group-protests-outside.html

 

 

 

Edited January 10, 2021 by Frances

[Ausmumof3]

4 hours ago, StillJessica said:

Americans, maybe all humans, we’re lazy.  We don’t want to have to do more work than we have to.  As a whole, we don’t want to have to research and dig for the truth when we can just look at our favorite news or social media and press like or share; to spend our precious few hours off of work...well, working on our own education; to challenge ourselves to examine our prejudices; and we certainly don’t want to realize how lacking our educations were when it comes to the most important parts of belonging to a society.  We also really don’t like to be made to look stupid.  Even so, many of us are never going to do the work it takes to continue to grow and be better people.  This board is full of intelligent research-loving individuals, but it’s an anomaly.  Most Americans aren’t spending their time the way many boardies do. I don’t know how you change that.  Well, I have ideas, but I don’t think they’re realistic in today’s world.  

It’s also that many people’s lives don’t leave much time or mental energy for it either.  

[MercyA]

1 hour ago, Ausmumof3 said:

It’s also that many people’s lives don’t leave much time or mental energy for it either.  

This is true, but then why oh why do people choose the most outlandish things to believe?

As one example: I have a friend who doesn't believe masks work, either for protecting other people or oneself. She told me near the beginning of the pandemic that she "doesn't have time to research" all this covid stuff. Okay. Then why not just believe, you know, the CDC, John Hopkins, the Mayo Clinic, etc. instead of whomever is spouting off on Facebook? Or maybe take 10 minutes to Google for reputable info because lives are at stake? 

She told me that there is no way to know who is right because everyone has an agenda. How do you even respond to that? 😞 

Feeling super lonely tonight. 

Edited January 10, 2021 by MercyA

[Carrie12345]

10 hours ago, StillJessica said:

I really hope that the expansion of mental health services due to telehealth means that more people will take advantage of seeking out counseling!  Right now some insurance carries are covering it in full.  If only that would remain a thing and we could get it covered for every American that needs someone to talk to!  My daughter was already in counseling for anxiety (which she gets honestly from both sides of the family, poor kid!) when the pandemic started and it has been every bit as good over telehealth as it was in person.  If anyone is really struggling I hope they will try to avail themselves of the services!  

Funny enough (not haha funny,) virtual counseling is actually more difficult in our house. I’ve been seriously considering getting and trying out white noise machines for outside of doors like many offices have, because there’s so little privacy in our layout.

[Happy2BaMom]

I was doing OK (largely because I've been waiting for an outbreak of violence to happen, so I wasn't surprised), then I read & saw pictures about the two rioters (protestors is too kind a word) who reenacted George Floyd's death on the stairs of a church that had a BLM banner, and read that the one officer who died was beaten with a fire extinguisher.

I lost it after that and haven't quite been able to get it back together again.

There's just something about those two acts - the sheer nauseating viciousness of them - that has led me to believe that I'm living in a Third World (or "Developing") country tripped out in the drag of a First World one.

And I really fear that there is sort of a point of no return here, one that's been crossed and that, even though it may look like we've pulled back from the brink, I don't know that I have confidence that we'll stay back from the brink. 

Like others, I find that walking in nature really helps. A minimum of 20 minutes/day. And I have my own spiritual path, and my own focus of helping marginalized community(ies), all of which helps. But there's a process of grieving in place, that something that I once loved & relied on, isn't really there anymore (for me, anyway).

 

ETA: I read that the FBI has opened a federal murder probe into the death of Officer Sicknick, which helps, as I feel confident they will not stop until they find those responsible.

Edited January 10, 2021 by Happy2BaMom

[historically accurate]

2 hours ago, Choirfarm3 said:

Oh I know that. I have tons of head knowledge. I know all of the correct answers. I just don't always feel the right answers. I don't feel peaceful and safe.

((Choirfam)) I'm sorry. Peace can be very hard to find sometimes. 

[*Jessica*]

2 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

Funny enough (not haha funny,) virtual counseling is actually more difficult in our house. I’ve been seriously considering getting and trying out white noise machines for outside of doors like many offices have, because there’s so little privacy in our layout.

Yes, that can definitely be a challenge.  

[Not_a_Number]

2 hours ago, Choirfarm3 said:

Oh I know that. I have tons of head knowledge. I know all of the correct answers. I just don't always feel the right answers. I don't feel peaceful and safe.

I don't think these threads ever make you feel peaceful and safe, though. For some of us, they are just a way to let off some steam and grapple with the fallibility of other people. But I think they actively make you feel WORSE. 

Perhaps best not to participate? 

[Lecka]

My husband sits in his truck when he has phone appointments.  

[Lecka]

Btw — it is positive for me to vent here and know other people have similar concerns, or have insight into different concerns than mine.

I need it to not dwell, stay off of Facebook, not vent to my husband who does NOT need to hear me vent right now, etc.  

My husband can get wound up from looking at social media, and I do not think it is positive for him.  A lot of times it is — at times like right now, it is not.  I would want him off if it was just one more upsetting thing for him.  
 

I have started blocking my husband’s friends on Facebook that comment on his comments, if I don’t want to see what they have to say.  And it is taking away the whole “did you see what was on my page” stuff, and I want him to start snoozing people for 30 days more often. 
 

It’s too bad though because some of these are people he was close friends with 10-15 years ago 😞. And he would like to keep up if they weren’t going to higher and higher percentages of political posts.  

Edited January 10, 2021 by Lecka

[Wheres Toto]

Reading the updates and posts on here actually helps me feel less anxious.  To me, information is comforting.  Even if it's not good information the fact that people know about what is happening, that someone somewhere is taking steps to keep it from happening again, that someone somewhere is trying to make sure people paid for what they did.  That brings me some comfort.  

And even when there is no comfort in the knowledge, I feel better knowing than not knowing.  I can almost always imagine something worse.  (plus when people around me DO say stupid things, I can more easily point out one or two things that may get them thinking). 

[Not_a_Number]

23 minutes ago, Wheres Toto said:

Even if it's not good information the fact that people know about what is happening, that someone somewhere is taking steps to keep it from happening again, that someone somewhere is trying to make sure people paid for what they did.  That brings me some comfort.  

That's a good way to put it. Talking to people on here can make me feel like part of something, instead of just a single powerless entity. 

[Janeway]

13 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

Then you need to find much better news sources. Whatever you’re using is . . not good. 

CNN, Foxnews, BBC, Wall Street Journal. There was a woman who was shot by a cop, there were three people who died at the riots-but not attacked by the rioters. Over the course of 2020, dozens of people were murdered in riots and in the name of the "cause" of the riots. Billions of dollars in property damage happened. No one, not one media source or politician came out in support of the few hours of rioting on Jan 6, but many media sources and politicians came out in support of the riots and violence in 2020 and spurred it on further. What news source do you think is better?

[Not_a_Number]

1 minute ago, Janeway said:

CNN, Foxnews, BBC, Wall Street Journal. There was a woman who was shot by a cop, there were three people who died at the riots-but not attacked by the rioters.

You're skipping the cop beaten to death by a fire extinguisher. 

How did the three people who died at the riots die? What happened to them, do we know? 

 

1 minute ago, Janeway said:

Billions of dollars in property damage happened. No one, not one media source or politician came out in support of the few hours of rioting on Jan 6. but many media sources and politicians came out in support of the riots and violence in 2020 and spurred it on further. What news source do you think is better?

Let's do a quick thought experiment. Imagine that BLM protesters made it inside the Capitol, bearing flexible handcuffs and guns. They beat a cop to death and chant "Hang Donald Trump!" while setting up a noose outside the Capitol. They break into Republican Senators' offices and scrawl messages on their desks. They break windows. 

How would you feel? 

[rainbird2]

On 1/8/2021 at 9:41 AM, Katy said:

Yes, same here. My next door neighbor told me he’d give everything he owned to fix the election fraud. And two neighbors on our block still have Trump flags flying that are bigger than my SUV. Gadsen flags and confederate flags are flying a few blocks from here. I live in the Midwest, not the South. It’s a warning, not a pride thing. It feels like the whole world could errupt at any moment. Locally. Not just in Washington. 

 

I'm not in the South, either.  I'm in the most Democratic state on the West Coast.  The craziness is everywhere.

 

 

 

 

[MercyA]

6 hours ago, Choirfarm3 said:

Oh I know that. I have tons of head knowledge. I know all of the correct answers. I just don't always feel the right answers. I don't feel peaceful and safe.

I completely understand. 

I guess I've never really had a "feeling" kind of faith the way some people do. But I "know that My Redeemer lives and in the end He will stand upon the earth" and that helps tremendously.

Just remind yourself of the truths you already know and keep busy, and I think peace will follow.