Overwhelmed by the news

Didn’t notice that it was any more depressing than normal tbh. Did notice the lovely smiley pictures of PG.

Now and again I get pangs of feeling overwhelmed but it depends how I feel to start with. I think you get the odd day of feeling gloomy about all news being bad.
Then you're suddenly immune, sadly.

I find the pictures of animals that have been mistreated overwhelmingly sad. I sometimes despair of the human race.

PG,?

Prince George

Or this?

In the past I have been unable to sleep after reading about child cruelty cases. I can't get my head around why anyone would do such terrible things.

The world is full of war, pestilence, cruelty, accidents and freak weather conditions and always has been.
In the past, people didn’t have to confront it until it happened to them, now we have it shoved in front of our eyes all the time.Psychologically speaking, it must be very bad for us.We need a way to filter the really bad stuff out.
One way is to not watch rolling news ( spawn of the devil!)
Another is to feel compassion and sympathy when watching or reading but not to dwell on it.Dwelling on misery seems more common in women, and especially in older women.
It’s difficult.

I got quite obsessed about the baby P case; crying for the poor little soul.
I had to put it firmly out of my mind because I was overwhelmed with sadness.

I think it happens sometimes, because its human nature to feel empathy (hopefully!)

Thanks Alima

Maw -

The news is pretty depressing - we are condemned by global media to know more than is good for our psyche.

Switch off is the only option! WE cannot absorb the sorrows of the whole world.

Yes MissA baby P. Heartbreaking.

Yes I do sometimes I vow never to listen to the news or debate programmes ever again but I can’t not maybe I m nosey inquisitive or just like to be involved but yes I find this last few years more depressing that at any other time that I can think of

Of course news and fb is slanted towards the sensational and the negative.
Nobody ever posts about having a cup of tea and doing a bit of a tidy up.

I used to be a news addict, but read/watch/listen to it far less lately.
I often have to escape to another room, since dh is still addicted - or a masochist, as I would rather call it.

I read recently that the R4 Today audience was down by quite a bit, and no wonder. Never mind the rest of it, I'm sure I'm not the only one who can hardly bear to hear the B word any more.

Lessismore I feel very much in agreement with you there.

The news outlets have become very much like the government- Cumbersome- It takes FOREVER for government to pass legislation and news outlets to get to the point of the story being reported-

I have not read a newspaper, listened to radio news or watched any on TV for over 4 decades as it was clear to me it was affecting my emotional wellbeing.

And I've been roundly criticised for doing so. Mainly by people whose conversations always begin, 'Did you see /hear that on the news/in the paper/on the radio...?'

And then go on to tell a grim or grisly tale. Hardly ever anything heartwarmingly wonderful, that's for sure.

I've heard all the specious answers as to why I should read/watch/listen. 'To keep myself informed about the world.'
It doesn't wash.
After all, what can you actually do about most of it?

I still have to wonder at people who willingly and daily (or more often) fill their minds with the sorts of things you speak about above - and worse. Who would actually want to read about such terrible things?

As you say, it is overwhelming - and unpleasant and leads to fear, anxiety, dissatisfaction, depression and chronic complaining.
Is that good for the soul?

It would not be quite so bad if we heard as much good news as bad but we don't.

But you know, it's hard to convince people who feel they must imbibe the news all the time, to standing back and looking what it is doing to their psyche.
So I don't try.

If you care, join Greenpeace, sponsor animal and child charities, work in your community with the needy and hurting. Do something to change your world.

I really do try to avoid watching though somehow I get to hear. It used to be the 6 oclock news was dumbed down for universal viewing but even that is full of paedophilia and man's inhumanity etc. Some child murder cases will live with me forever.

Bring back John Craven's Newsround.
and there's always:
www.positive.news/

MawBroonsback. What a brilliant cartoon. My feelings in a nutshell.

When you see the bad things on TV, especially about the war in Yemen which has impacted so badly on children, or about animal cruelty, if you can, send a donation.
You may think a small amount of money can do nothing in the scheme of things, but multiplied thousands of times across the nation it does help, and you do feel that you can help a little.
As Bradford L has said, do something to change your world. It will make you feel a little better.

Oh yes, and all those adverts asking for £2 a month for babies going blind with flies all over their eyes, children drinking dirty water, poor old donkeys struggling with heavy loads, poachers killing elephants etc etc etc. Makes me want to cry.

We have stopped watching the news, the morning programmes, (GMTV, This Morning etc) we also scroll past things of social media that we don’t want to see. Been doing this since January and we are so much happier. I used to break down at all the despair and unhappiness in the world, I know I may miss something important however I truly believe that the things I need to know, will get around to me

am always sad by events ,knowing there is nothing i can do but pray for that situation.i give money to animal aid in india ,but thats all .i work voluntary for salvation army. animal cruelty is what gets me and abusing children.