Fear

I know exactly how you feel and it's horrible 😭

Only I don't blame the government. Things were worse under the Tories and would be worse still under Reform.

I know the root of it is in my past. I had an insecure childhood and a bad relationship and have been shown only intolerance of my disability by my neighbours. Very few people have ever shown me any respect including the members of my own family.

Hello Catherine

Sorry to hear about your stress levels in a fractured world…we all feel it but pls keep your head held high and try to remember how resilient you have been so far, and how you can call on that strength in the present too. Please keep away from social media and conspiracy theories…I don't think anyone is trying to break down the family, in fact a good thing from the Budget is that the 2 child benefit cap has been lifted. Fear is our real enemy, because it cripples us, so any enjoyable or relaxing activities you can do will build you up xx

ps I know about the judgements about disability, it is horrible and I now will say if it comes up, " You don't understand, so you are judging without seeing the evidence. Please back off and use your energy for something constructive for yourself and others! "

Haven't tried it yet….just distanced myself from disrepectul "friend" for the time being. xx

Hey Cath, we all have moments where we slip and panic, but it's vital we get straight back on track.

Cast your mind back to mid 2024 and our chats then remind yourself how far you've come in dealing with these issues. you should be very proud!

That goes both ways, don't underestimate how loved you are on here.

Hi Cath. So sorry you feel so bad. I hope it's just a "bad day" and you're starting to feel a bit less anxious now. I can't say I've ever felt so anxious so my comments might not be much use to you, but I know from experience that if you become absorbed in something for a couple of hours, to the point where you're concentrating on that rather than all your worries, then you give your mind a break and start feeling better. It has to be something that really takes all your concentration and doesn't let your mind wander back to the problems. In my case it could be working through some maths (I know, weird!) or knocking up something from wood for the birds like a bird feeder, something constructive so you can look back at the end of the day and say "hey, I did that!"

As for the gov and this country, I try to take a pragmatic approach, ie we are all humans with faults. None of us are saints and you can't expect too much from others. I don't think you'll ever find a perfect country while humans are in control. But there's nothing worse than shouting at your TV + feeling completely helpless to do anything about it. So when I feel frustrated I try to do something about it, even if it's just telling others what the country's doing wrong on social media, or emailing my MP etc. So I can say to myself I'm doing something to try to help improve things.

Keep talking to us Cath, there's a lovely community here and many know just how you're feeling. And no matter how confident others appear in your life, in truth almost all of us suffer from worry and sleepless nights, you aren't alone. <wrapping you in my wings> xxx