Posted by:
imaworkinonit
(
)
Date: April 18, 2014 12:34AM
when I was growing up, the second coming was just around the corner. We got our food storage, because surely sometime soon there would be no food available. And then there was the year 2000 bug, when technology would cease to function. That's when I finally got my food storage (which I purchased from the church and canned myself). That disaster was a big no-show. We were taught that the world was a dangerous and evil place, and that's a really horrible thing to teach little kids.
I'd say news sources and churches have the most to gain by predicting or reporting on bad news. New agencies sell papers and gain viewers. Religious followers cling to their churches when they feel powerless and afraid. I've also noticed that religious followers tend to get caught up with conspiracy theories, and assume that everybody is working against the common good.
I think it pays to unplug from the news if it's bothering you. You can't change most of that stuff, anyway, and it doesn't affect you directly, except to make you upset. And if you are around negative people, limit your exposure to them.
I know that it's probably more complicated than that, and perhaps with some cognitive behavioral therapy (maybe even try it on your own), you could rewire your reactions. But if you can't please get help. Once, during a particularly difficult time, I got the following book and found it helpful:
http://www.amazon.com/Anxiety-Phobia-Workbook-Fourth/dp/1572244135/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1397795319&sr=1-2&keywords=the+anxiety+and+phobia+workbookOne of the surprising things was that it talked about diet, and I realized that my caffeine intake was a part of the problem. For you, it might be something else that you never thought of. Reducing caffeine didn't make the challenging situations I was dealing with go away, but it took the edge off and made it easier to cope with them.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/18/2014 12:35AM by imaworkinonit.