Coping

There are times, these days, when I think I've lost my mind, my will, my energy.  The political climate in which we find ourselves is opaque with misery, outrage and disbelief.  There is no seeing through it; no pawing away the murk to find a shiny nugget of...anything...that gives hope or light.

As time goes on and the weather improves, I don't find my mood improving as it should.  I still feel weighted down and paralyzed.  My tiny but persistent voice of hope, the one that has got me through every crisis and depression for six decades, has quieted to a muted squeak. 

A few weeks ago, I found this article:

"How to Stay Sane if Trump is Driving You Insane:  Advice From a Therapist"

It contains such nuggets as these:

There are times when optimism is not appropriate or possible, and this is one of those times. Our President is delusional, lying, or ignorant; disastrous climate change and war with North Korea loom; marginalized people in our society are suffering. Faced with these calamities, catastrophic thinking is a rational response. History teaches us that many arcs of history did not “bend toward justice.” The 65 million people currently displaced worldwide are tragic examples. We need only speak to a Native American to understand that collapse is entirely possible.

And:

 When something terrible happens, our natural reaction is to fight against it: “This should not have happened! I can’t believe it! I would do anything to go back in time.” Fighting our agony won’t change it, however. We are better served by accepting what happened, allowing it to change us, and working with what is left. 

It's a good article.  It made me understand what I felt...made me feel better about what I felt, and gave me some coping mechanisms.

If you're having issues similar to mine, I advise you to click on the link.  It'll be worth the time.