Watching-the-News Anxiety

Not watching the news makes you ignorant of how the world is changing so when you are forced to learn what has changed it will cause even greater anxiety.

I agree that the bad news causes me anxiety and changes my mood I don't watch it but what about the boards outside shops they usually have scary headlines and I was listening to the radio and the news came on about an horrific attack on a vulnerable person by girls. I was in my friend's car so couldn't do anything about it I had to listen to all the sordid details which greatly upset me I think there ought to be laws stopping the intricacys of crime it makes me feel angry that my mood is forcefully changed in this way .

Unfortunately it is the uncontrollable that have become a trigger for me. I wish that you could witness just one instance of good news. Much of what we see now is hints of an impending cataclysm. Political and social collapse of societies, sever water and food crisis for the upcoming generations, looming war, and economic instability. While I try my best to do my part and be a caring helpful individual it still doesn't change the fact that I can never make such a large scale impact. It has always been a part of me to try to make things better or to fix things. What is one person supposed to do against such insurmountable odds?

[...] = {"data_track_clickback":true};In this crazy world of ours, there is rarely a break from news stories of tragedy. How can we watch the horrid news reports, complete with video of the terror and, as a human, not [...]

I have been a "news addict" for very long. It started when I was only 8 years old. I needed to know all what happens and where it was happening. I stayed like that for maybe 30 years, feeling helpless and being angry at myself for not being able to stop "the bad" things to happen. It's true that when I made myself useful in helping others, I used to feel better. I still feel the need to check the news, but I make a lot of efforts not to do it much.

Jodi, our family decided years ago to not have cable TV. Part of the reason is the caustic, constant feed of anxiety-producing "news" that does nothing other than to cause fear and anxiety. There's plenty of good things that happen every day but network news will almost always opt for the murder, shooting or drama.
Instead, we pick comedies on netflix and things that make us smile.
Our 5 or so year news-fast will continue!

To be honest, your recommendation to control our response to stressful news indicates great helping in managing adequately common live event trauma. This psycho-social skill prevents to grow up in magic circle of anxiety disorder as most frequent mental illness. Our reaction to any traumatic news should be in concordance with concrete live circumstances whatsoever they are. Otherwise we would to face with counteracting outcomes of social milieu as predictor to respective running of life events. In this direction, it ought to be realistic counter system of values that determines the interpersonal relations. No everywhere, our intentions and thoughts go in accordance with environmental parameters. So, we often should to acting in opposite of our instant will. This suggestion is preferable to take in consideration before to undertake any activity, as response of unpleasant news.The options are numerous, but our choice should be in accord with our life affinities and psycho-social conditions. In consequences, it must to recognize deeply itself, because we couldn't change life events either they are traumatic ones. Respecting this principal rules, we would to soften in some measure common stressful news.

I find it most helpful for me to read the news online from a couple of different news sites. I can watch the news occasionally, but consistently causes me problems. By reading the news I can be selective on what I read. I don't bury my head in the sand on important issues I'm just careful how much I read of them on days when I need to be more careful. I find myself reading a lot of headlines and choosing the articles that I deem really important. It works for me.

Jodi, during my abusive marriage the news scared the bejeebers out of me. I think I transferred what I was anxious about deep down (the abuse) onto the news. The news, and my inability to correct the wrongs I witnessed, gave me a valid excuse for feeling anxious, insecure, and hyper-aware.
I'm glad that part of my life is over. However, I do avoid the news in general, choosing to keep up with politics, law-making, and domestic violence primarily. There's enough to tick me off in those three topics without provoking anxiety. After all, I feel empowered to change those aspects of the news.
Great ideas for acting on anxiety. Acting is the quickest way to erase fear causing anxiety. Nike is on to something. Just do it!

I'm a newspaper reporter, so I have to keep up with the news to a certain extent. I find it all overwhelming sometimes. I love your suggestions of some of the things we can do in response to what we learn in the news. Thank you!

This is a hard one for me Jodi...I try to avoid watching the news and even though there are times when I have become 'active' in some of the ways you suggested (raising awareness, becoming involved in a charity or signing petitions etc), it is still overwhelming at times.
I choose to read my news online and not watch it on TV as sometimes the images give me nightmares!