News Fear Of Another 9/11

[Bookoffee]

I am not looking for a political debate, I am not sure what I am looking for. I need to share my fear of another 9/11. The people breaking through the gates and ISIS is scaring me. I try to watch Face the Nation so I know what is going on but it is too much for me to handle.

I try to trust the nation but I can't. Half of the crisis team I worked for went to 9/11 to help. The stories and reports scare me.

How do you stay calm?

 

[TonyG]

I don't watch the news or listen to the radio, I have my head in the sand, To old for another bout of military service now so I just shut it all out,
Works for me

 

[Momofthree]

Honestly I stay calm by not watching the news. I have friends who watch the news and they give me up dates on things from time to time but I just stay away from it all together. I especially can't watch war news, school shooting news, or murder/ suicide news. I have found though that I can read up on things, some how reading is less triggering then watching TV for me. I am sorry you were touched so closely by 9/11 I was in the Navy I know how hard that must be. If you find that you can't help wanting to know what is going on I would suggest not watching American news, but instead going to BBC news online and reading stuff there, our news tends to be sensationalized in order to get more people to watch it and the last thing someone with PTSD needs is more sensationalization, we do that well enough on our own.

 

[Jane.l]

I agree I try to avoid the news it just creates fear and there's nothing I can 'do' about it I can't handle that lack of control .

 

[Justmehere]

I have a personal connection to a couple of people in the Middle East and someone who lost their life at the hands of ISIS/ISIL. Their last email haunts me. I have been alarmed by them and by Ebola and all the other crazy stuff happening in the world.

I don't watch the news or any info about it anymore - or any news. I used to. It just made my PTSD worse and paralyzed me to respond to it well. I get tempted to go back and watch. When it comes times to vote, I will become more informed again - but only by reading it. Reading it tends to take out some of the fear and emotion. I will do it with friends too. Not alone. It's scarier to face alone.

I also take reasonable measures to stay safe in public - stuff I would do anyhow.

I don't want to get all weirdly religious, but I asked my therapist about it - and one time, she said, "well, what do you do with death?" She is not of any particular faith but is supportive of mine. Her questions deeply challenged me and brought me back to matters of faith. I am coming to an increasing place of peace about what is going on with ISIS/ISIL. Really, the only thing that calms me is knowing I am not alone and connecting to my faith, my God, and my friends (online and offline). It's a tough thing actually, as the bible talks of a time that will come where the proverbial stuff will hit the fan. So I kind of wonder at times as I connect to God if that time is coming. Which makes me feel scared. But here's the thing about my faith, I have a God who was stressed to face death too - a God who understands me even if I don't understand God. And, it turns out ok in the end. There is so much reason for hope in this dark world. I have a hard time holding on to it, but it is there.

Disconnecting from the news and connecting faith and to others has made a big difference for me.

 

[Bookoffee]

My wife likes to watch the news to keep informed. I try to leave the room and do other things to keep busy during that time but I still get glimpses. I try to get some of my information from her but sometimes I can't even trust her soothing words. I hate it.

God scares me and I need to figure out my spiritual side.

 

[Momofthree]

Maybe you both can stop watching news and start reading it together.

 

[user27357]

Does it help to know that this is all just more of the same? Our time on earth is no worse than any other time, our threats and the reality of our world are no worse for us than they were for others that survived the threats of the past.

Somehow my fears about this time in history were eased a bit by learning a little more about our nations history last week. This feels like such a violent time with guns everywhere and people jumping the white house fence and political motivations causing violence against our leaders. I did not know that Teddy Roosevelt was made president of the US due to an assassination of his predecessor, that he was shot while campaigning and survived and that Franklin Delanoe Roosevelt had an attempt made on his life by a gun man while waiting to get in to office.

Sometimes it seems like we are all headed for some kind of showdown and the times are getting worse, but I think in reality this is all just more of the same, nothing new under the sun as they say.

Yeah, I watch the news, but I try to keep it in perspective and that perspective is made a bit better by knowing there isn't anything new in this crazy world. And yeah, I was scared by 9/11 and I fear more of the same. So did my grandfather and his grandfather and his grandfather. In some weird way that helps me accept this time as just another time in history

 

[Hydrotroop91]

The latest person that broke through the gates at the white house was a former service member struggling with PTSD he is now getting treatment. So I wouldn't worry about that. The family is hoping that it will raise awareness of PTSD. I have been trying to not follow the situation wiht ISIS so that I won't be freaked out either.

 

[Chava]

I don't watch or listen to the news either. When I'm feeling okay, I'll listen to some on NPR. But if I'm anxious or really depressed about the world, there is nothing about those stories I can fix anyway, so I shut off the radio and go back to something that I can have control over (art work, walking my dog, whatever)...little things we all do for ourselves and others that make the world a little better. But I agree it's some scary creepy stuff. It's hard NOT to hear some of the news and not find yourself thinking about it. To clear my head I put on some good music. And it's not that I don't want to be informed, it' just that i'm useless to myself and everyone in my own life when I'm overwhelmed.

 

[Upside Down Eagle]

Can your wife maybe watch the news when you are not around?
Reading the news isn't much better. The screamy headlines are the same, because that's what they want: your attention.

Look towards the good in the world.

The lesson is: you'll go where you look. If you are skydiving, and are looking towards a bunch of goat, but don't want to land in them, guess where you will land. In their middle. If you look to the dropzone, that's where you'll land.

 

[joeylittle]

I would suggest not watching American news, but instead going to BBC news online and reading stuff there, our news tends to be sensationalized in order to get more people to watch it and the last thing someone with PTSD needs is more sensationalization, we do that well enough on our own.

This is really smart advice. Maybe you can convince your wife to switch to BBC. And if not, you could try wearing earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones when she's watching/listening. There's nothing wrong with limiting your own stress load in any way you choose to.