I am feeling so bloody irritable!

And yet, when some of us on another thread said we were avoiding the news these days, we were criticised for that, too...[can't win]..There have always been problems in the world. But I don't remember there being so many problems all happening at the same time or populist right wing political parties threatening to be elected in European countries. And America has never had a president like Trump before. Even Nixon wasn't that bad in comparison.

Is it any wonder that certain information is not given to the public.
A very close friend of ours was on nuclear subs in the 80s. There were some very threatening incidents 😱
If most of the posts here are representative of the way the general public would have reacted with that information there would have been chaos.

Couldn't agree more.

The 1970s had plenty of wars - Vietnam, Cambodia, Yom Kippur - and also saw the Ebola virus emerge, the Munich massacre, Idi Amin taking over Uganda. And the ongoing threat from the Cold War was played down as much as possible, despite some horrific accidents in nuclear submarines.

The 1980s were much the same, just different venues. Iran-Iraq war, Falklands war, explosion of Mount Saint Helen, crash of Challenger, Beirut bombing.......

Then in the 1990s the Persian Gulf war, rioting all over the place, Oklahoma City bombing........

All of these would have been horrendous at the time, but we've forgotten most of them unless someone mentions it. But we didn't follow them in detailed reports throughout the day, just the newspaper report in the morning and probably a report on the BBC in the evening. Consequently for most of us they were removed from our everyday lives (except of course for those with family serving in the wars or medical personnel attending explosions, shootings, etc.).

News now is intended to be invasive - every paper and every channel is fighting for supporters. Time to switch off where you can and just keep up.

escaped

I'm finding these comments about regretting having children, or glad not to have grandchildren, quite unpalatable.
The majority of our offspring will have happy, fulfilling lives. Despite everything that's going on, I'd never rue the day they came into the world.

What did I post earlier, mass hysteria.
Is it any wonder that certain information is not given to the public.
A very close friend of ours was on nuclear subs in the 80s.
There were some very threatening incidents 😱
If most of the posts here are representative of the way the general public would have reacted with that information there would have been chaos.
The posts here made me think of the chaos when Orson Wells read War of the Worlds on the radio.

www.bbc.co.uk/culture/article/20231027-behind-the-broadcast-orson-welles-on-the-mass-hysteria-of-the-war-of-the-worlds

I don't have a TV so I avoid distressing images and I don't read newspapers. I do listen to the news on the radio briefly most days. I no longer engage in discussion about Trump or world disasters. What's the point!?
I came across a beautiful large pink mimosa tree the other day.I had never seen one before. So today I went back with my dog and my watercolours and had a peaceful time painting out in nature with sunshine too. I find such distractions just about keep me on an even keel!

I'm finding these comments about regretting having children, or glad not to have grandchildren, quite unpalatable.
The majority of our offspring will have happy, fulfilling lives. Despite everything that's going on, I'd never rue the day they came into the world.

The world IS worse than it’s ever been. We have bombs capable of wiping out all living things. The world has never been in that position before.

It’s not about being retired, it’s about spending your twilight years doing things that are less stressful.
The world is a terrible place at the moment yes, but chatting about it on here isn’t going to stop the war in Ukraine or Gaza, or stop Donald Trump visiting the UK.
WWW2 ( and there is absolutely nothing wrong in this ) does seem to spend a lot of time on here, which is fine! but it must be exhausting to chat for hours about the really heavy subjects she’s into.
No wonder she started a thread saying she’s irritable. Who wouldn’t be.
If something is making you irritable, something you can do absolutely nothing about, why would you want to spend all day talking about it?

That’s all I’m saying.

Oreo

Kandinsky

Exactly Dorrain

The world is no worse than it’s ever been - it’s just now we get so much information that people can talk about it all day long on social media ( if they choose to )

All the things that happened in the past up to today in the world were no better but now, if retired you have time to dwell on it all , plus rolling news and SM.
To help your own mental health only watch the news once a day and don’t get into it on SM.
If you’re able to, get out more and do things.

Some of us have been interested in politics and world affairs for decades. But I can never remember a time when I’ve been so appalled by what is happening everywhere or so helpless to do anything about it. And I’ve never before regretted bringing children and grandchildren into the world; I’m so scared for them.It’s a bit ageist imo implying the WWM2 problem seems to be being retired and having too much time on her hands in which to think.

escaped

crazyH

It may sound selfish - I am not interested in the world as a whole - I am mainly concerned about my immediate world, my family and friends, although the recent AI Crash bothered me deeply. My family travel a lot.
I am not interested in threads on Politics, about Trump or Putin. I listen to the news religiously, but it doesn’t affect me, unless it’s a human story.

Not selfish crazyH, probably sensible.

I sometimes think that even if I cried for a week over some of the awful happenings, it would make no difference, so why bother.

My thoughts exactly. It’s getting like a mass hysteria.

glammagran

I feel the same as many previous posters. I never used to be as pessimistic as I am now. I worry constantly about what feels like the collapse of society and what will happen to my descendants. This government is overspending like crazy and fewer and fewer disgruntled tax payers and paying for it. Angela Raynor’s housing dept has already spent £6.5M on foreign travel. Why? They will be coming for our money which I would actually quite like to leave to my children who are not as well off and probably never will be as many of our generation have been.

It feels like there was a different world pre-Covid and a new one post-Covid, I hardly recognise now.

Absolutely glammagran. That’s how I feel. I felt for those Ukraine people, dealing with covid, then Putins war!
Now Israel & Gaza. No end to it.

I feel the same as many previous posters. I never used to be as pessimistic as I am now. I worry constantly about what feels like the collapse of society and what will happen to my descendants. This government is overspending like crazy and fewer and fewer disgruntled tax payers and paying for it. Angela Raynor’s housing dept has already spent £6.5M on foreign travel. Why? They will be coming for our money which I would actually quite like to leave to my children who are not as well off and probably never will be as many of our generation have been.

It feels like there was a different world pre-Covid and a new one post-Covid, I hardly recognise now.

I always start a diary each year and manage a week or two and then it fizzles off, I will come back to it a few months on and write for a few days then dribble off again into obscurity
Looking over them I can see how many horrendous things have worried me in the past but they have passed and I m still here and I can’t even remember being so worried and upset

I have a picture I painted in the sixties it’s pretty horrific picture for a young person to have painted very bleak and scary I know I was worrying enormously about the starving children I think it might have been Biafra or maybe somewhere else ? I can show you if you want but I don’t want to make anyone feel worse
I can’t watch the tv news in depth but I can keep up to date with reading and knowing some details
I get accused of being too optimistic ( a Pollyanna) but I can’t live with the negativity we have around today

I’m similar crazyH I remember as a child being told ‘eat your sprouts, children are starving in Biafra’ I could do nothing then to change that and little more now.
I do watch the news and follow online, I like to know what’s happening and have lively discussions with friends and family, I can’t ignore it.
My occasional periods of worry are for my family, sometimes I can influence that.

crazyH

It may sound selfish - I am not interested in the world as a whole - I am mainly concerned about my immediate world, my family and friends, although the recent AI Crash bothered me deeply. My family travel a lot.
I am not interested in threads on Politics, about Trump or Putin. I listen to the news religiously, but it doesn’t affect me, unless it’s a human story.

Not selfish crazyH, probably sensible.

I sometimes think that even if I cried for a week over some of the awful happenings, it would make no difference, so why bother.

Whitewavemark2

l will apologise in advance for my irritability, which is beginning to show, but I think that everything about the world is so utterly dreadful at the moment, that it is definitely beginning to affect my mood.

I must somehow get a grip but it is difficult.

Completely and utterly agree, but I’m not apologising for my irritability!

It may sound selfish - I am not interested in the world as a whole - I am mainly concerned about my immediate world, my family and friends, although the recent AI Crash bothered me deeply. My family travel a lot.
I am not interested in threads on Politics, about Trump or Putin. I listen to the news religiously, but it doesn’t affect me, unless it’s a human story.

Great replies on here. That is it! We know far toooooo much these days and now our heads are imploding - well mine is. I battle with depression on a daily basis so I make things for charity. Knitting and crocheting keep me sane (or maybe I am not sane) but they help.
I stopped watching the news a while ago. There is nothing I can do to help the world but I can help charities by doing my bit.
Hugs to you as you are certainly not alone.

I agree with Dorrain and Kandinsky - we have more information than we can process. Bad things have always happened but we didn't know about most of them. Now we know about so much that the weight of it is intolerable. Also bad things are newsworthy but good things are not so it always seems the bad outweighs the good. Try to keep things in proportion.

This is the only time in my life I feel relieved that my sons didn't give me any grandchildren to worry about. I never ever in a million years thought I would hear myself say that.

No its not just you by any means Whitewave. I am feeling sad and irritated this morning mostly after reading the comments on the "dog whistle" thread about immigration.

Anyone needing hospital treatment for themselves or relations should thank their lucky stars for immigration. There would be half the staff if not fewer without it. I think I shall stop reading GN for a while. I have cut down TV news anyway. I cannot change what is happening in the world. I have always been a bit sad I am not a grandmother, but I would fear the future for GC if I were.

I am pretty cheesed off too but watching a beautiful sunset brings me joy as does playing with my grandchildren. I am now formally the third playmate and have to play with them under instructions!
Hope you feel more optimistic soon wwm2.
Part of the problem seems to be that we are being silenced and have to accept so much that we personally find problematic but without any right of reply. It’s not just you if that helps.

Its easy to spiral into upsetting thoughts, you are far from alone. 👩‍❤️‍👩

Thank fancythat. Two heads are often better than one!

PoliticsNerd

Whitewavemark2

l will apologise in advance for my irritability, which is beginning to show, but I think that everything about the world is so utterly dreadful at the moment, that it is definitely beginning to affect my mood.

I must somehow get a grip but it is difficult.

Is it you actual, physical world Whitewave? If so is it worth a word with you doctor?

Whatever it is, I'm sorry you are having to deal with this.

Thank you for your kind thoughts.

But tbh I haven’t reached nearly the ancient age of 80 and not know the difference between anxiety or depression and being cheesed off and irritated by the way the world is going.

Frankly I would not be human if it didn’t affect me I think.

PoliticsNerd

fancythat

Watch a whole lot less news.
And pray, those who can. Is my advice.

Go outside into nature.
Think about nice things.

God is the answer. But I appreciate not many will understand that.
And I cant say much, as I dont think I would be allowed to on this forum.

My most recent additions to the how to stay sane list have been:

1. Celebrate the small wins. I had post-it notes everywhere until I found the way to see things as a win rather than look at the things I can no longer achieve, for whatever reason.

2. Look at things not as "things I have to do " but as things I get to do". I'm still working on this but definitely seeing things more positively.

3. This is really the same as watching fewer news sources. In my world it's "stay informed but balanced".

4. My final one is "have friends in your life as often as possible." That is always worthwhile!

Excellent post in my opinion.