When the media impacts our mental health

Thanks @Former-Member

It's a bit hard for me to think about right now - it's hard enough when people suicide alone but the murders - too tough - I can't understand it

Gotta leave it there but thanks for including me in your thoughts

Dec

Hi @Former-Member

There are days when I have the TV on for back-ground noise - I live near a small but busy airport and for some reason it seems I am okay when it's my noise but not okay when I have too much noise coming in from outside - that bugs me

So I gather things are quiet where you live up north but there is too much TV noise where you are now but it's unclear - your mother has gone now - does your dad turn the TV on? Or are your brothers coming into the house and turning it on - that would drive me crackers - I would not like someone coming in an just turning the TV on -

But your Dad - it's his house - still - you are not used to the news flashes - I always stop to listen to them myself but I don't have the TV on all the time so I missed the Margaret River events - and yes - tragic - and it's really bad but these things happen and they get aired on the news and if our senses are acute and we suffer more than the next person - yes - I get it - for whatever reason I did not get to hear much about that one until someone talked about it on Mothers Day

When it comes to the Royal Marriage I am delighted - I am not really a monarchist but then I did vote for it when we had the referundum ages ago - my family of origin was right-wing - I grew up without questioning all of that until the Dismissal in 1975 - so I personally think the Firm needs a shake-up and Meghan is the right person

But then - it will not be easy for her

I feel bad about the Margaret River event though - because I have had two suicides in my own family I struggle to understand it - I really find it hard to think about - add several murders to a suicide and I care only about those who have been innocent and have been taken away and lost their own lives because of someone's warped sympathies

I still can't really focus on it Lapses but I am glad you thought of me - I'm still pulling myself together after my emotional tidal wave of family illness events over the last weeks and still don't know anything about my special rellies - I guess we can only take so much on board at once

Lots of hugs Lapses

Dec

Hi everyone,

Just dropping in here to share our Service Spotlight threads on the reporting of mental illness in the media. If you'd like to have a read about our Stigma Watch campaign or to provide feedback to the team about your view of media reporting and mental illness, you can join the conversation in the Lived Experience forum here or in the Carers forum here.

🌻

There is a lot going on in the media right now so we thought it was timely to reactivate this thread to focus on practical tips and support on media impacts on mental health.

Here are just a few ideas of how you can take care of yourself when there are things in the media you want to manage impacting you:

- change your social media settings to not auto play videos that come through

- take a break from social media or the news if you are feeling triggered

- being selective about what you watch on TV

- picking a time that feels okay and safe to you to read the news if you desire

- following some more upbeat, funny, inspiring pages/accounts to help balance out your social media feeds

Most importantly, if you are exposed to some news items or footage that triggers you, seek out some support. That could be friends or family to lean on or contacting a helpline to chat it out with. Keep encouraging each other to self care around the feelings - it can't always be avoided but we can be kind ot ourselves and help redirect/navigate when we do struggle.

What other ideas do people have around ways to manage impacts of the media? Lets keep sharing some tips and strategies here to give us a nice warm (or cool if you are feeling a bit hot!) space to be idea sharing around this theme 👍🏼

Social media can be a risky online tool. I stick to reading the news online when I'm ready to and only those articles Im willing to read. ABC online is great wide ranging news if you need to be up to date. Social media is dangerous from my experience. You have less choice over what you're exposed to. But everyone is different.

I personally stopped using most social media over 6 -12 months ago. I have more spare time and feel better mentally. It's too easy with social media tosee stuff you don't want to see, see other's lives that seem better and compare yourself. I find it easier to relate to people by phone or text or in person, not via social media. I'm in the driver's seat with who I communicate with. Just my opinion.

I send prayers to anyone affected by the media and events of recent days.

Hi @Former-Member - stopping using social media can be really beneficial for some people, it's great that you noticed how much that helps you by getting away from it. Knowing one place that you like to get your news from and at a time that suits you is also great.

For others it can be about taking short breaks or for others as well social media is a place that makes them feel good - it's just about managing who and what you follow and perhaps playing with settings too. It can be helpful to look at things like stopping the auto-play of videos on facebook for instance so that you can choose before you watch something that comes along your feed for instane. Any other tips around on how to manage what they see or triggers of the media?

There is some great information around this kind of thing in Symptoms of social media Topic Tuesday and Designing your online world Topic Tuesday for anyone that want's to have a read!

STOP THE NOISE!!!

Today the news is anouncing LIFELINE'S BUSIEST FORTNIGHT IN 58YRS DUE TO MEDIA REPORTS OF RAPE AND CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE 😢 Many are suicidal.

Why am I not surprised!

It's not just us!

It's not easy to just turn to off.

Silence is so empty when day-in-day-out, and isolating. I put the tv, or abc radio for company, a sense of being connected... BUT, sure enough, there's a story, a repetitive report that taps into my past trauma !

grr,

brings it to the surface, to invade my now, robbing it really for i am triggered, taken back to relive it, over & over, I hate it.

TURN IT OFF! they say.

But when I turn everything off, I'm triggered by emptiness. I do have God there I guess, and know that should be enough, but I'm human still. Discipline, It's hard.

Anyway, thought this was good...

Hearing you @Former-Member

Managing media is important.

That balance word again ...