Politics

Curious.... the news has been terribly distressing for me and has stirred up OCD. Compulsive rumination and checking (news stories) are my go-to when OCD is triggered. Today, I purposely did not listen to my news podcast as I do every morning. I feel better-ish. Is this avoidance, or is this self care? Would continuing to listen to a podcast be exposure with response prevention applied to the compulsions that go with it? Thanks in advance!

I'm doing a lot better with my OCD episode but I'm finding it hard to cope with what's happening in my country. It's hard because it is scary and people keep telling me I should be afraid. That everything is over and it's the apocalypse. I don't think it's productive to be gripped with terror but I don't know how to calm down.

hi, i live somewhere in the US where the current political administration has a lot of focus on. i also attend a PWI that is excellent for their law school - this is to understand the context of my guilt! i do not align with the politics of the area i live in, or the institution i attend as a student and am employed for. i’m in a masters program for a health disparity public health field… which doesn’t align with the views of the institution i go to. i feel struck with so much guilt and feel a cinder block of anxiety on my chest because of how powerless i feel in my academic “society”. some of my most politically “likeminded” peers ended up shaming me for my ocd too, so overall, i feel this imposter syndrome of just not belonging here at all. (i move in a year but, i need to work on this feeling because “running away” won’t solve it) this powerless feeling extends to more guilt because i am in a place of such privilege that i need to use my power. then i am left frozen/paralyzed in stress and anxiety bc the battle of personal life stressors, the weight of the world on fire, and my social circle crashing are all adding to the pile. TIA for understanding the mental health aspect of this and not talking about personal politics.