Forum Index
»
Off-Topic
Can't take the news
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
I used to be a major news junkie, but since the cyclone, and now the earthquake, it's literally keeping me up at night. I can't get images out of my mind. What if it were my baby lost in the rubble? What if I were the woman desperately clinging to her children as the flood waters rose? I find myself on the verge of tears multiple times a day.
And, I work for a major humanitarian aid agency, so I know exactly how much (how little) is being done to help the victims. We have a staff counselor in our organization for exactly this kind of thing, but he's at headquarters, and I'm in a satellite office. I'm hoping he'll make the rounds of the field offices soon. In the meantime, How do we cope with this kind of horror? How can I stop putting myself in the shoes of every anguished mother whose face crosses my screen? |
Anonymous
|
I wish I had some advice, but am actually struggling with the same thing. I am a worrier in general, but this week was really tough with the cyclone in Myanmar/Burma, the earthquake in China, and then reading the story of Irena Sendler (smuggled 2,500 infants and toddler out of the Warsaw ghetto in the Nazi era - unbelieveably moving story) who passed away yesterday.
I do wish I could give some suggestions of how to sleep better, but don't know how to deal with it myself-- in my case, I just signed up this morning to do a child sponsorship through a humanitarian aid agency as some small way to do something more productive than worry and bawl my eyes out. Good luck to you (to all of us!). |
Anonymous
| Yes, the people in Burma have suffered too much for too long. A deeply repressive regime which also cut them off from aid during the tsunami -- and now this! |
Anonymous
|
I don't watch the news anymore. I read the paper, but avoid stories that give the gory details of tragedies - both large scale like the ones you mention and every child abuse case. I've had vivid nightmares, and sometimes I can't stop horrible thoughts while I'm awake - if my car flips, how do I save both my toddler and my baby? If we are all drowning in a river, how do I save them both?
I just try to avoid it whenever I can. |
Anonymous
|
There is a particular picture I saw on MSNBC that has been haunting me. It's of the floods and little toddler bodies floating in the water. There were about 10 little dead babies just floating there who looked between the 18mos-just under 3yrs. It must have been some sort of area that had a daycare or something I'm so sad thinking of their little bodies there, no one to get their bodies and mourn properly and bury them. I just think if them alone in that water. I think of how terrified they were to drown to death. I woke my son and gave him big hugs and am so grateful for our (so far) easy life. It is very disturbing, but you cannot and should not block this stuff out. We need to be sensitive to the rest of the world, we cannot live in our comfortable bubble pretending like nothing terrifying ever happens. I sometimes just want to get down on my hands and knees and thank god for giving me my good life and wonderful country.
Its awful, I don't know what to say. I too think about these orphaned children, grieving mothers and fathers, and entire families who perished in terror. |
Anonymous
| I'm 18:30. I think there's a big difference between being aware of the news and drowning yourself in shocking photos and sad stories. |
Anonymous
| Having a child myself, the thought of dead children and seeing a picture of a lifeless arm of a child from the earthquake in China really brought tears to my eyes. It seems like there is a better response in their rescue effort than there was in our own hurricane in Louisiana. |
Anonymous
| I'm one of those people who take everything personally-I'm affected by everything going on in the world. We can't travel to 3rd world countries because it upsets me too much. We keep in safe-England, France-you get the picture. Children and animals hold a special place in my heart and seeing images on TV are just too much for me. I can't even go to Mexico! I appreciate what I have and always will. |
Anonymous
| I'd like to think that all those who suffered and died will go to a better place and come back to a better life in the future. I hope, anyways. |
Anonymous
| Me too. If I see or read something tragic, it stays with me for days. |
Anonymous
|
It seems to be a uniquely American trait to pretend that an problem does not exist if you ignore it. I think that it is good to be aware of the news, good or bad. Avoiding the news does not mean that the Cyclone and Earthquake did not happen, it did and its a tradegy. Instead of ignoring the news how about using what happened as a calalyst to doing more to help the less fortunate or as a means of reconigzing just how lucky some of us are. Everytime I see the pictures from China and Burma I look at my preschoolers and just think about insignificant my current worries are - the right schools, the right toys, whether she should not be drawing triangles -- you get the drift.
BTW, a tragedy is supposed to stay with you for days, otherwise it would not be tragic would it. You people make me sick, people are dying and you are worried that you cannot sleep becasue you saw pictures of what happened. |
Anonymous
Ok, I think I am going to throw up. PP, I suggest that you visit Mexico, maybe you will get some perspective. |
Anonymous
I take everything personally too. I ONLY do 3rd world travel. Have never been to Europe or some other glamerous vacation, I think my kids get MUCH more out of visiting the 3rd world. I just took my children to Africa, planning on Nicaraua in the winter, and did Bolivia last year (scary!). Africa, tore at my heart and I left feel very sad and completely hopeless, the whole trip while beautiful was very upsetting. We spent some time in a terribly impoverished area with no running water, no electricity and terrible disease and AIDS. I have learned so much about myself and my own wonderful country in the process. Listening to the news and the drama over the elections and listening to Americans bitch and complain really grates on my nerves. Many people in this country live in their own VERY VERY small world. |
Anonymous
Couldn't agree more. I am happy there are people like you in the U.S. |
Anonymous
| OP - I work in a job where I am exposed to and work with people dealing with trauma. From what you are saying, I think you might consider not waiting for the counselor to come around, but seek out some help yourself. When you are in a professional environment like yours, you have to work to take care of yourself. I personally don't watch the news much (more because I have preschoolers and no time for the evening news and don't stay up late enough for the nightly news). Instead I read the news online or listen to it on the radio. And when I'm feeling overwhelmed by a situation at work, I try to limit my exposure to other disturbing stuff. It's the same thing we told people to do after 9/11. Stop watching the same disturbing images over and over again. Not to deny that it happened; people's suffering is very real and we should feel compassion that moves us to action. We won't be able to move, though, if we are ourselves crippled by our own trauma. Please talk to someone about what you are feeling. Best of luck to you. |