Mental Illness Fellowship Northern Territory 
@Molliex , thank you so very much. You are very kind and caring, and I know you mean what you say about being there for me if needed. That is very much appreciated.
@eth , having you around is great, for which I thank you sincerely. I know you understand so much of whats been going on and the reactions to it all. As to how you can specifically help? Not sure .. for now ... being there and holding space for me is enough. Later ... I'll let you know.
@MDT , thanks so much for being happy for me to be back again. Of course I have been following your thread. I dont have much to add usually, but I want you to know I care and am appreciative of you continuing to tag me. I enjoy hearing how my forum family members are getting along. As for your work colleague leaving home for a holiday away ... that is terribly irresponsible of them. I'm sure the South Coast would love to have visitors after the fires devastated the area in Dec/Jan. As would many small coastal communities around here. But right now ... it just isnt on!
@TAB , yeah I guess I do feel a little better after getting all that out. I can read through it now its there in front of me in black and white. I try to think along the lines if it were someone else telling me about their own experiences. And now I think "no wonder I've been feeling so damned sh*t".
@Maggie , @Faith-and-Hope , @Snowie ... thank you for your kind thoughts and hugs. Still waiting for a couple of pics there.
@Appleblossom , yes I am aware of how the Pell affair affected you. And I am so sorry about that. Childhood abuse and institutional abuse and coverups is simply beyond my reckoning. So wrong, but so much of it went on. Far more than we'll ever hear about. And no doubt that trend will continue now, thanks in no small way to the legal system's need to protect the guilty.
Several of you have mentioned the need to switch off the media, re all this bad news. Unfortunately this is something I have great difficulty in doing. For example during the bushfires, I loaded up the RFS app on my phone and checked it constantly. After the young Mum in QLD was killed by her estranged husband, I scanned the news articles on line and on the TV regularly. Same with the Coronavirus, and the truck crash the other night. News of rapes and assaults .. same thing. I just have to know, its like a moth drawn to a flame. My brain just wont let it go ... it has to know exactly what is going on ... where, when and why.
I have spoken to my psych about this and she says its actually quite common for people with PTSD. Some avoid everything. Others, have that need to know, in order to (logically) stay safe. Forewarned is forearmed. Its all part of the hypervigilance thing apparently. Always on high alert and ready for the flight or fight response.
But it has been hard with all these things happening in the world. For example, the tragic death of the QLD mum and her beautiful children at the hands of her narcissistic husband made me realise just how vulnerable we are when we live with a narcissistic and unstable partner. How quickly things can turn deadly.
Similarly, the coronavirus brings it home to you just how fragile life is. So many people are out there losing loved ones ... mainly parents, being older and more susceptible. I really miss my Mum, even though its been 9 months now. And of course my Dad is also susceptible now as well, not just the virus but his overall health. And I cannot be there for him. Hubby also is at a much higher risk of the virus than the average person, plus he is over 70yo too.
The truck crash resulting in the loss of the 4 police is pretty obvious ... it reminds me of my little niece who died in a crash. The fact that its also been my Mums birthday a few weeks ago and my nieces birthday next week, is just a further blow.
But how do you learn, or force yourself, to switch off from constantly scanning the news? How do you relax enough to feel safe, without the need to be constantly on alert? This is something I need help with.
Sherry
HI @Former-Member I'm another who has found the media quite compelling the first few weeks of social distancing. But then I realised I had reached saturation point and was still seeing the same news over and over again each day - different chanels on tv, fb posts etc, email updates from support organisations and shops I order from .... When I got to that point I decided to try to limit my exposure to 10 to 20 minutes per day, and try to screen it so it was only coming from the most reliable and least sensational sources. It's not easy some days (I get a bit of fomo - fear of missing out - sometimes), but I'm coping better now that I just get the main facts and not the constant barrage. It's much better for my mental health. Hope this is helpful. Sending love 
