Ok, this might be controversial. But when I was in my early 20s I would wake up every morning and read the news. I was also at the time suicidal. I had to stop reading or watching the news. Get offline for a little bit, become a little more ignorant. Because you can’t help the world if you’re dead, you can’t help the world if you‘re paralysed by misery. It’s doesn’t have to be forever, it’s just for right now, just for a bit while you let yourself climb out of misery. During this break from it all first try to actively participate in your recovery (I went home to see my sister and my dad - which involved admitting to my family how bad it was which in itself was massive, it also involved telling my uni I needed extensions, asking for help from a dr, letting my friend Alice look after me, trying to eat better etc). Then if you’re starting to feel a little better, you can begin to start actively participating in your community and in theory. contrary to popular opinion, you don’t need to be plugged into exactly what it going on it the world everyday to be active and involved! This can look like reading books on political theory or community building (read some Bell Hooks, Angela Davis, Marx whatever!). It can look like exactly what royallmonarch said in his response! Honestly sometimes now I switch off from actively engaging in the news, and I still can feel involved because I have enough knowledge of my own beliefs, understanding of some theory, and involved and passionate friends that I will almost always know what’s going on and important through them. literally what is the point in knowing everything when you can’t possibly act on everything? People online saying you have to witness the most horrific acts of society in order to understand the world seem to me to be people who clearly don’t have as strong a sense of empathy as you or I have! (Also side note: for me important things for my recovery from years of depression and world-related anxiety involved getting of hormonal contraception, a steady and good therapist who I could see for years rather than in like 6 weeks bursts, getting a correct diagnosis and medication, and moving home to be with my family. Nothing happens in isolation, so many things shift and one day you suddenly realise it’s better. I truly believe the fact that you want to feel better is a sign that you can.) xxx
