Other Getting more and more paranoid in public in response to several shootings in areas close to mine

[littleoc]

Hello,

There have been a lot of shootings lately. In one area close to me (not in my city, at least) there was one that resulted in several deaths by a disturbingly large caliber gun.

I'm getting more and more scared of public. There was someone in the university's next-town-over that had a visiting jogger get kidnapped and killed.

I feel like I'm in danger everywhere I go. The store is ironically a safe place for me, but I can't figure out how to get that mentality for restaurants, movie theatres, or what have you. (My mom likes to eat out a lot. I haven't been able to eat much of anything lately which is good for my anxiety I suppose)

There was already a thread recently about what to go during a shooting and I remember it well enough to remember the advice (mainly that you won't know how you'll react unless you're trained) -- after the high school shooting.

This thread isn't meant to be political and I don't want it to become political -- I'm just trying to figure out if I should be as scared as I am of getting shot or if I'm being... controlled by a distortion? Or something?

I just keep seeing intrusive mental images of my service dog getting shot trying to protect me or even while doing nothing. Or of family members or strangers -- I wouldn't know if I knew the people or not (facial blindness) which would disturb me even more. It did during that tornado outbreak, so maybe this is about tornadoes and not guns? How do I deal with this? Or, maybe better question, how do you or would you deal with this?

Any feedback would be appreciated :)

 

[frogthroat]

I don't want to sound like the harbinger of doom but everytime you come out of the house you take a chance. You could get shot, killed by a tornado, or get your neck broke by a flying tire. A piano might fall on you. Literally anything can happen at any time. Don't stop living because of this. If situation occurs fight or flight will kick in and I personally would rather be out living my life and get shit then be huddled away in fear inside. I hope I'm not sounding snooty. It took me 6 years to start really doing things. People are enigmas and life is chaotic. You can't predict danger. You'll drive yourself insane.

 

[frogthroat]

*get shot not get shit this autocorrect

 

[littleoc]

A piano falling on me sounds kind of fun? :laugh:

And I like your logic. Thank you

 

[DharmaGirl]

I think it is a lot of media distortion. I am not one to talk since I rarely leave my property and shop in town, but if you buy into the culture of fear that this country lives by, you will soon be building an underground shelter. I have 2 mastiffs. When I had terrible insomnia, I used to walk them at 2 or 3 in the morning. I was never afraid. My therapist at the time told me that we are safe. I understand why you are afraid, and it's understandable, but he had me stop reading the news, or watching violence. It really helped. Really.

 

[littleoc]

That's something... I walk my dog at 1am if she asks. She's never been afraid. Even if she sees someone, she does her little alarm bark and then pretty much moves on with her life.

Thank you, also

 

[blackemerald1]

@littleoc - I get what you are saying. But I have to agree with @frogthroat and @DharmaGirl and I don't go out very often either. But if you think of the media as a condensed version of what is happening in a population of millions? There is going to be some grief somewhere for sure.

stop reading the news, or watching violence. It really helped. Really.

Do this^^ it's really a good idea. It definitely helps with reducing anxiety and stress.:)

 

[littleoc]

Okay, I'll do that. That's true -- there's always grief around the world. I notice it all over Earth and it drives me a bit crazy, like y'all are saying.

Thank you, too :)

 

[Neverthesame]

Abstaining from the daily news has been one of the better decisions I've made for my own mental health.

I also discovered the concern I had about missing something interesting or actually important was unfounded.
People you interact with day to day, will fill you in on anything relevant to your immediate future.

If you hear about anything interesting, it's easy to skip past the fear mongering to find the specific story.
Otherwise, a tornado sucking up a piano store, makes it's own alarm. Whatever the tune, it's end will B-Flat... :singing:
Sorry. Bad joke.

As an aside for the terrible joke.
There are always amazing stories behind every tragedy. It is easy to be blinded by the negative, but looking past it, one can find the best in people when they fight for one another.
These are harder to find than the horrible front page stories of death and destruction, but often just as incredible and more numerous. Or media is just accustomed to ignoring them because horror sells better than hope.

 

[littleoc]

Or media is just accustomed to ignoring them because horror sells better than hope.

I've definitely noticed that

Thank you -- and thank you for the joke, lol

 

[Freida]

Here's a thought....
The U.S. Is safer than it has ever been according to FBI statistics on crime. Safer than back in the 50s (you know, those days of beaver cleaver and all that.) But - as the others have pointed out - the media distortion is enormous. They play the same clips over and over, until it becomes multiple events in the public consciousness instead of one event that keeps getting repeated. And yep - stay away from the news. If you must check, use a newspaper instead of TV or clips because you can control the "tone" of how you are reading it TV news folks thrive on getting people all wound up so they will stay tuned. They can be telling you about a hummingbird who farts rainbows and make it sound like the world will end.

I just keep seeing intrusive mental images of my service dog getting shot trying to protect me or even while doing nothing.

This hits home. One of my biggest issues is that I believe that there is someone behind every closed door waiting to shoot me in the head. Every door. Then I got SD and guru told me to send him through the door first. I almost burst into tears because I didn't want him to get shot. So guru says .... Well if a sniper is looking for you they are looking at center mass (your chest area) ..not at the ground. SD could go in unannounced, be unnoticed because he is a low target, and warn you if someone was there. I almost had a panic attack for the first 100 times I did it - but now it works really well.

Could you pup be hurt in a shooting? yep. Or in a car crash or bus crash or walking down the street or bad dog food or blah blah blah
It's all about keeping it in perspective....:hug::hug:

 

[littleoc]

I almost had a panic attack for the first 100 times I did it - but now it works really well.

I definitely understand that.

Or in a car crash or bus crash or walking down the street or bad dog food or blah

Haha, funny story but I'm always making sure she's safe in every situation. Bought a crash tested seatbelt (wasn't too expensive though) but at one point her kibble was in a lawsuit case from people claiming it was causing kidney failure in their dogs -- I took my dog to the vet with a sample of everything I could get and was eventually told that my dog was in basically perfect health... I heard about the lawsuit from the media so I suppose that had something to do with it...? Because apparently it only bothered two dogs. Dogs don't care about salmonela or even E. coli -- it's usually a problem when humans get it from the dogs.

Anyway, thank you :)