How Do We Deal With Coverage?

[Mulori]

So, I was just wondering for those of you who have ever seen a news report or media coverage about things which related to your trauma- the circumstances being different (not connected to you in any way) but the things that happened (like rape or war or stuff) being constantly thrust at you in the media. In newspapers, T.V broadcasting reports, casual conversations about the news.

We can't make this go away. It is triggering. And as the news is "news" it is almost sensational, so built up, and then dies. It will eventually resurface later with another person or in another place or in a different context and then be reported that way.

How do you deal with it? Sometimes when this happens all I can do is use humour as my defence mechanism so nobody sees how much it hurts. I've done things where I've just cut people off or gotten mad when they discuss the news and say "Let's not go there." or I even switch off the news and put on a kid's show instead.

The problem is that it's so unexpected- you never know when the situation will be in the media, and then when it is, it's an explosion of it for a week, and then it slowly starts to fade.

How do you deal with the anxiety over the coverage when it seems everywhere you turn you're triggered?

 

[Ilaj]

I don't watch, read or listen to the news unless I know I'm in a frame of mind where I want to know what is going on.

If I do watch the news and I get upset, like you I will sometimes use humour. If I have to listen to people talking about the news, I treat it as a normal conversation and respond accordingly. Sometimes I will stop listening. If something makes me ache I might ask to change the subject. Hearing the news from people I know doesn't bother me as much, maybe because it is often filtered through their own opinions about whatever news is going on.

Overall, I am trying to take more joy from life than what the news has to offer. I think it's important to know what is going on, but not as often as every single day, that would be beyond depressing. To deal with anxiety over the news, I can only suggest not watching it or avoiding it, until you feel able to watch it without it bringng up anxiety. I personally hate the news and I probably know of the news about once a week because it happens to be on when I turn on the tv (unless other people inform me of the news, then more than once a week, but not by choice).