Its getting worse & im running out of pills.

[Erica1101]

Ugh, probably for the past week now ive noticed my anxiety getting much worse, ive been reading up on all these articles about asteroids (which i know i shouldnt) and its making it much worse.. what happened was i was on facebook and a friend had posted a link about an asteroids and so on and i was forced to see it of course, so my mind was racing, i was freaking out and so the only way i could try and fix it was to read more on it to make sure it wasnt as bad i had it in my mind, luckily it wasnt as bad but now its all i can think about, im annoyed with scientists & all their discoverys, & ive only gotten about 3-4 pills left and i dont have another scheduled appointment til the 25th, so now im thinking about going into the clinic tomorrow to try and get more and to see if they'll up my dose

basically i just need to get this off my chest because its all that i can think of, i can't even relax and watch a movie without my mind wondering.

Im also 8 months pregnant, so when i think of all these things , i also think of the future of my son's life which makes it even more unbarable! can't handle this anymore, i wish internet/television and radio didnt exsist, people would be much happier and we wouldnt haveee to have sites like this.

[hellscion]

Have you tried watching something a little more positive ?

There are plenty of documentaries & programs that show the beauty of life & the world..

Also, stay away from the evening news at all costs

[JustTrying]

For me it was mind over matter... TRY to tell yourself that things are going to be ok..... Good luck JT

[Guest Docman]

I have the dubious honor of owning a degree in journalism. As part of that degree we spent some time and several courses discussing not only the techniques to accurately and fairly present information (what used to be called NEWS), but those things that are considered opinion, editorial, advertorial, and bad journalism (now inaccurately referred to as news or documentary).

One of the ways that information is distorted is to intentionally create drama and tension by manipulating the facts and statistics. (Mark Twain once said, "There are lies, damn lies, and statistics".) This is in the tradition of yellow journalism where 'If it bleeds, it leads'.

My point is not to in any way dismiss your anxiety (I know it all to well and not as a friend), but to provide some explanation for how shows like the one you mentioned tend to foster it unnecessarily.

For example, they will Gatekeep. That means the information that makes it scary will be given but the information that mitigates this is withheld. Doesn't sell advertiser products if it isn't a grabber! So they will say things such as how asteroids have hit an average of 1 per 10,000 years and since one hasn't hit in 9,999 years it could happen any moment. They neglect to say that there is no guarantee that one will EVER hit again - it is a random system the asteroids are part of and therefore holds to no schedule. I am also sure that they did not calculate the actual odds of you personally being present for an asteroid impact because that would be far less likely to frighten you. Instead you were given the worst possible scenario (without benefit of balance) to pander to your fears.

Have you noticed the way the commercials are precisely timed so that at the end of every segment you are brought up to an anxious high? Left to wait through a commercial to see what horrific or exciting thing is going to happen next? And that the most prurient and violent aspects are used to do this? It is not an accident. The whole point of shows like that are to work on your anxiety and build it so you keep coming back for more and don't change the channel. It's called keeping butts in seats.

Do you know that teams of psychologists, sociologists, and even psychiatrists are employed to help create these emotional roller coasters? It's never advertised, of course, but within the business it is common to test for this kind of impact using these professionals as advisers. Is it any wonder that someone who is sensitive to anxiety to start could be overwhelmed by this kind of professional manipulation?

(I myself can't watch COPS or that insipid show about Dog somebody or other who goes around smashing things and brutalizing people. I was tortured by police so it's just not something that could ever be entertaining - but more likely to trigger my PTSD and anxiety.)

this is all fine if you are an adrenaline junkie or if you are prepared with the knowledge that you are being emotionally manipulated, but what if you are not?

I suggest that you might want to consider that your baby has the same odds as you, the same odds as your parents, the same odds as your grandparents and great-great grandparents of being present for an asteroid impact. How many of them were hit? It's said that the best disinfectant is sunshine. In the same way including ALL the facts in a "documentary" would go a long way to allay your anxiety and actually provide interesting and pertinent information instead of creating distortions that prey on people's fears.

In other words, I am embarrassed as a journalist that you were affected by the cheap theatrics and quasi-science this kind of show represents and hope that by letting you know that your emotions have been manipulated it might provide you some insight and solace.

[Guest ASchwartz]

Hi Erica,

Docman is quite correct and that is why I advise people to avoid television if they can. Even the "good channels," like the science channel, portray thing in ways that are designed to terrify people.

As a pregnant woman you have enough to deal with without worrying about asteroids falling on your head, something that is so higly unlikely to happen that there is a better chance of the "cow jumping over the moon.":D

Be Happy and take joy in the beautiful baby you will soon have,

Allan:)

[Lindamomof7]

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