With everything happening in the world today, it’s important to talk about things, to help process events and stay healthy.  I watch and read about current events, but I have learned that I have to manage the information in a way that doesn’t create more problems.  Between COVID cases, vaccine arguments, politics, and issues overseas, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed and anxious.  If you are a person that watches news channels more than anything else, consider how that might be affecting your mood.  Then decide if you are depressed and anxious as a result.

                I work with lots of different populations, but many of my patients watch the news (a lot of news) and talk about what they see.  They share their anxiety about the future with the world and the country.  They worry about their own lives, and how things they see will affect their future.  For many, these feelings become overwhelming, and keep them from being able to function as they become more overwhelmed.    For some, the news affects their ability to sleep, work, and spend time with family and friends. 

                As they talk about current functioning, we work on coping skills.  The first coping skill is review of current activities.  If watching and following the news is creating anxiety and depression, cutting back on the news is the first goal.   For some, that is hard.  They worry about not being informed enough, and being out of touch.  When that happens, we talk about their goals.  If their goals are to manage their own anxiety and depression, changing their behavior is a must.  If they are not able to make changes, we talk about the consequences of not make changes. 

                Making changes in behavior is hard.  If you do the same things, every day, for weeks and years, you get the same results and nothing changes.  If you change your behavior or your thinking to a more supportive, positive way of thinking things can change, but it’s scary at first and very uncomfortable.   Patients need to be able to develop new coping strategies, and then hang on until the new coping skills begin to work.   That’s where many patients get lost, and struggle with long term change.   For many, watching the news give them a sense of control over the world, although it’s an illusion, it is a coping skill.  Moving past that illusion, and choosing a new skill, is important to move forward.

                To move forward, people need positive coping skills that help support progress, not set-backs.  Those coping skills might be reading positive books that help with a more positive perspective.  It might be feel good movies or music that helps clear the mind.  It might be exercise, or helping others through volunteer work.  For some of my patients we talk about options including finding a place to get out of the house.  Although COVID has makes that more difficult, there are still options to get away from the television, or computer, if that is part of the problem.  Coping skills are different for everyone.  Finding what works for you is part of the goal.

                Depression and anxiety come from so many places.  When you have an opportunity to manage the source of some issues, take that chance to make changes.  Making changes in your behavior is hard, but with work, patience, and trust in your support system, it can be done.  I’m hoping there are people in your life that can help you make changes.  I’m hoping that you have the motivation to make changes, and the patience to understand that it won’t be easy.   If you can, you can make the changes that will help you be happy, for life.