End of the world, or not...

[Nedkelly990]

I'm very new to this and like i previously said to another guy I'm not even sure if what I'm dealing with can be called anxiety or whether I'm just a nut.

Im thinking I can trace this back to my time as an infantry soldier in the army when I deployed to Afghanistan. I haven't suffered from PTSD or anything but now that I'm out of the army I'm constantly concerned about how my own personal actions will effect these things that I stress about. Namely the end of the world!

I'm constantly stressed about how much power I use or how much petrol I use or how much water I use, this stresses me out because I feel so strongly as if the world is going to end sometime in my lifetime. Or just around the corner. That we'll run out of oil and our society will crumble or something ridiculous like that.

It affects me every day in a lot of things that I do. I can't talk to my wife about it she just thinks I'm a nut when I talk about the world ending. But it's something I legitimately worry about every day. There is always horrible stuff all over the media and the news and it's impossible to get away from and it just fuels my reasoning.

I guess what I'm looking for out of this post is maybe someone who can relate, and a bit or clarity about whether what I'm feeling is in fact anxiety.

Thanks

[white knight]

hi  NK

I never was deployed overseas but I did serve in the RAAF, a prison officer at Pentridge Jail, security for many years and so on. No I cant relate to your activities in the middle east but I can relate to your dim view of the world.

Mine began in the late 70's. Yes there was an oil crisis then too. I can recall a colleague warder telling me in 1979 he was getting LPG on his car.  That V8's were going to be dead in 5 years (we still have them...even V12's), that oil will run out in 10 years, that Russia and USA were going to use their nuclear weapons and end the world, rumours Chinese would over run our country etc. Then there were predictions- we would by now be flying to work in space backpacks or flying cars (invented but still not perfected and no sign of them being perfected), that solar power would never work on a domestic basis (it has) and so on.

There have been advances everywhere in areas we didnt think possible like GPS, satellite ability etc. Ronald Regan nearly went to a new defence called "Star wars" and everyone laughed at him. Quite feasible now. And we never would believe computers could be hand held.

My main point is that we, man, will survive and he always finds a way to overcome. That rumours often started by the media feed on our pessimism. Man will face crisis in the future as he has in the past but for every negative there will be positives. eg Russia equipped rebels with a rocket launcher to down a civil aircraft...the world reacted in unison as I've never seen it before. Finally the world is banding together against evil or wrong acts.

I dont know if you suffer enough paranoia but you could pursue any possible mental illness or issue with therapy. It does appear it could be an obsession. It is understandable. Such level of thought needs addressing. It's an unrealistic world to keep worrying about these things. And it could, if not already, effect your relationships.

Worrying is non productive. It doesnt produce a thing IMO except making sure you are prepared for the worst.

I noticed some time ago an old lady in our village. We chatted once. We spoke about her rose garden, her great grandchild etc. Then when I mentioned the federal budget she shrugged and said "I dont concern myself with any of that....I just have my family and my garden".

A lady that has chosen to keep her world boundaries within her property and her family. And I thought, she is better off because she a/ cant change the world anyway and b/ isnt worrying about it.

[AGrace]

Hey NedKelly,

I can't say that I can relate to your experience exactly, however we do each have different worries in life.

I'm not sure if you are suffering Anxiety, it could be Paranoia as WK mentioned, or it could also be a form of OCD. Regardless of the diagnosis, you are not a nut case, and it's definitely something to consider talking with your Dr about. Especially if you think it's playing a very dominant role in your life, and affecting your day to day living.

A GP may refer you to a Psychologist who can do some therapy with you, or s/he may prescribe some medication. If you can't talk to your family about the concerns without being judged, then it will be useful to talk to someone.

I guess none of us know's if the world is going to end, today, tomorrow, or in 5000 years. All that we do know is that we are here, in this world, living today and we can only do what we can to be nice to our planet. I wonder if it's worthwhile not watching, reading, or listening to the news for a while? You're right it can be full of tragic stories. I personally don't watch the news at all, and yet somehow I still manage to stay on top of what's going on in the world, I suppose through others.

If you are really concerned about the environment, have you considered the things that you can do as a member of society? Switch to solar power, invest in an economical or hybrid vehicle, recycle, use rain water, and grey water for watering, I'm sure there are others but these came to mind.

I'd be keen to hear your thoughts.

AGrace

[geoff]

dear Nedkelly, as I was reading your post and before you said the word 'obsession', OCD ran through my mind, so can I give you an example.

People who have OCD always worry about unrealistic things in life, like the back door not being locked, so we go and check it as many times as what we have to, like mine  is 4 times.

I know the damn door is locked but this illness makes me to have to check it, sounds stupid to those who haven't got this illness, so the same applies with you and the world ending, yes it could happen but we wouldn't even know that it happened, but the constant worry is always there, just like the door for me.

The same applies to petrol and water, but by the time we run out of petrol there would be another way that would replace it, and perhaps we won't need it.

At the moment there are billions of barrels of oil produced everyday from all different countries, but I can't blame you for these thoughts because I have had OCD for a long time.

If I was to say to someone that I had to check the door 4 times then they would also call me a nut, and would say 'why do you have to check it, you did it a minute ago', so that's why I tend to hide it or make an excuse so that I can do it.

As far as I am concerned you are entitled to think of all of this, and being called a nut, well absolutely not.

If you want you can get some CBT from a psychologist, but I'm not saying that you should it all depends on whether it's affecting it too much to a point where it is controling it too much.

I would like to talk about this more if you like. Geoff.

[geoff]

dear Nedkelly, I have replied but it must be waiting for the Moderators approval,  however I will just say quickly what I have said in the other post.

With regards to OCD people like myself always have to check on whether the doors are locked, and I have to do this 4 times, but it could be more or less as long as I count to 4, it always seems silly for people who don't have this damn illness, and keep saying 'you have already checked it before so why now', but it's an obsession that I have.

My brother ( not my twin) always called 'nuts' for doing this, so can I bring my problem back to what are experiencing.

We never know if and when the world is going to end, and if it does happen we won't have any idea of what has happened, but it's an obsession that you have, just like running out of petrol and water.

The world produces billions of barrels a day, and by the time that we do actually run out of oil, if that's possible, but there will other ways that won't need oil, and in saying this, I am not saying that you are ant way wrong, but it's a fear of what you are trying to cope with, just like me having to check the door 4 times.

OCD does all of this to us, it compels us to think this way, and it's certainly not your fault, nor mine, as I have had it for such a long time.

I can well and truly understand that this illness can also be forced upon us and this seems to be the case for yourself after being deployed to Afghanistan in such terrible and unspeakable conditions where I believe that we shouldn't have been involved in, but now it has created OCD  for you.

You can see a psychologist who can treat you with CBT, but I prefer people to talk about it with someone who has it for so long, like I have for 54 years.

There is an enormous amount of people who actually have OCD, but a large majority hide it from public view, and there used to be a video when you logon about OCD, it's probably still there, but it's really worth seeing.

It's also under 'the facts' and if you go down to anxiety it's there.

I do hope that you can get back to me. Geoff.