Mental Health

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Staying away from the world's injustices (feddit.org)

submitted 2 months ago by thedarkfly@feddit.org to c/mentalhealth@lemmy.world

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I feel a sort of duty of staying informed about the suffering in the world. This includes current events like war crimes being commited today; as well as the history of oppression: colonialism, imperialism etc.

But it makes me feel bad, really depressed. I feel like I'm torturing myself. So I try to stay back, take care of my mental health.

But then I feel bad turning my eyes away from it. It's like the passerbys looking away from a homeless person. Or the people, safe at home, not caring about the suffering of others because it's far away and it doesn't touch them personally.

I guess I'm not alone feeling this. How do you find a balance between taking care of yourself and not falling into apathy, insensitivity, or willful ignorance?

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[–] rollmagma@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

My system is:

Rule number 1 - only local-ish facts. If there's a catastrophe in Vanuatu I should not have to care about it. I can't even find the place on a map.

Rule number 2 - only if the information reaches me. That means no "news" allowed. Block that word. When people you care about, in the places that you care about are discussing an issue that they care about, that's your hint to also care about it.

Rule number 3 - if I won't be consulted on the matter, then I don't need to have an opinion on the matter. It doesn't make you a bad person. Your own guilt won't improve others' (current and past) suffering.

I think it's important to mention that there's a worsening effect overall the more we stay connected to all the crap that happens in the world, which is our own desensitisation to it. I believe we need to stay a little away from it so we don't start to see all this as normal.

Also, of course, the negativity bias is brutal. You'll be dragged into it whether you want it or not, better to practice keeping yourself away from it. You'll be reminded of your privileges soon enough =)

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