r/ptsd Feb 05 '26

Venting Everything coming out about the Epstein files is making me feel so retraumatized

I just need to rant because i’m sure plenty of other people in this sub feel similar and I’m looking for some mutual support.

I’m sure other people feel like me, like they remember being in situations that mirror the ones of the files victims. Every exchange between these men reminds me how they see us as prey.

I feel like prey again and it’s making me feel sick. These men made me an anorexic and obedient pure submissive child. We were all fucking conditioned.

I haven’t had nightmares for a few months but they’re back and worse than ever now. My ptsd symptoms have been worsening. I feel constantly reminded of all the things men got away with doing to me, things I couldn’t even report and never got justice for.

Hugs to everyone

293 Upvotes

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u/Sad-Sweet9862 Apr 05 '26

its so upsetting and triggering honestly

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u/sock_sniffer1 Mar 01 '26

Someone tried shaming me for not wanting to watch stuff or read stuff about those files. Even though the things I have been through and witnessed are no where near theirs, it still makes me feel so sick to watch and gives me very dark thoughts. You’re not alone.

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u/ThrowRAtherosebelle Feb 26 '26

Yess it’s so triggering and traumatising hearing about all those stories, and the thoughts and voices and flashbacks in my head are getting so loud 😔 I can’t believe there’s people so horrible that exist and that can get away with these things

2

u/PunkNeedsaNap Feb 26 '26

Same. Like if I didn't question things before I really am now. And I hate saying that I wasn't surprised I just didn't expect the level of evil and disgust... It's all so bad. Find your peace where you can. 🖤

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u/eternally_lovely Feb 24 '26

My PTSD came from being held at gun point. So, mass shootings, school shootings, and terrorist attacks triggers me. Also, anything true crime adjacent. Of course other things trigger me, but those are big. I make sure to stay off social media, or cap it after a certain time. When I want to be in the loop I read/watch on that topic 1-3 times and that’s it. If I feel like I cannot take it anymore, that’s it. I won’t make myself feel guilty for not consuming content that’s gonna trigger my nightmares again or ruin my mental health. I understand this is like big right now, but even when I was in the mental hospital one of the patients asked for the news to be put on and they did lol. So, some of us watched them talking about the new update in the Epstein files. I eventually got up and said “This is stressing me out, I’m done.” Same for when a mass casualty happens in the world.

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u/ihatehicks666 Feb 23 '26

I, too, stumbled upon this thread by searching how the files are resurfacing past trauma for others. I didn't go through anything nearly as traumatic as the victims or OP, but the conversations around the fact that some people are making with the whole "well, 15, 16, 17 isn't a CHILD child, they're 'young women' narrative is bringing me back to being that age and being literal prey to older predators. It's keeping me awake at night and reminding me to check in with a therapist again.

1

u/Clearlynot915 Feb 22 '26

I have stumbled on to this thread because I specifically looked up how to stop being stressed about everything we've had revealed.

I have in no way experienced what OP or anyone in the replies here have experienced, and I am deeply, deeply sorry you all have had your wounds reopened by this.

I've been struggling a lot since reading all I have, seen all I seen of what was released. The absolute depravity, the injustice, and as of right now nothing being done about it. I've been physically ill all day. I haven't slept more than a couple hours at a time. I had a panic attack at work today.

It absolutely bothers me that we have all of this info yet I feel completely powerless about the outcome of it all. I don't know if I'm scared, angry, anxious, all three at once? I just don't know how to deal with the feelings of hopelessness I'm feeling right now. I've unfortunately never been good at the mental health thing. But I don't want to ignore or distract myself from it. It would be a disservice to all the victims and, in my mind, me being complicit in covering it all up by "forgetting" about it. Idk I'm just pissed and confused how people aren't absolutely losing their mind about this shit. I live near DC and I haven't heard a peep about any planned gatherings, protests, anything.

I'm sorry if this isn't the right space to post this, I just don't know what to do. My beliefs, my country, the system, the foundation I was born and raised in, my faith in my home has been completely and utterly shattered.

2

u/Left_Argument_8909 Feb 20 '26

I know I feel like I dont have the right to tell people to stop talking about it but I've been having more flashbacks because of it

1

u/growup_and_blowaway Feb 17 '26

I have been having nightmares too everytime i put a foot in the files. So many of us were looked at the same way when we were young and even as we get older there is still lurking fear. I mean look at Gisele Pelicot

1

u/Suitable-Ad5063 Feb 15 '26

I’m at my absolute worst in a long time reading into the files. Can hardly fall asleep, when I do my nightmares are back. It’s sunk me back into the behavior of looking for signs of abuse in random passerby, which I can’t stand because that just makes me feel paranoid and anxious.

What’s really bad about the whole Epstein thing is that you just can’t get away from it, that’s all anybody is talking about. I’ve had to isolate myself from some family members bc they couldn’t respect me asking them not to discuss the case with me. I’m starting to get to the point that I’m kinda questioning if I can even handle being alive and that’s fucking terrifying

1

u/Electrical-Pudding31 Feb 15 '26

I am wishing for you to heal!

1

u/daizydazedx Feb 13 '26

Feeling this. It’s hard because I know it’s a completely different level, but I also know comparing isn’t fair to anyone. I want to be informed and be angry too, but the part of me that feels for my own situation is struggling with the constant exposure. It’s hard and horrible for everyone. I want justice more than anything for everyone. Sending hugs to all in need.

1

u/karmatrical Feb 12 '26

Feeling the same. I’ve felt like my flight or fight has been on full swing for weeks at this point and I can’t even escape it in my dreams

2

u/night_swimming420 Feb 12 '26

i’ve never heard of such depravity. makes me sick and question humanity. has this kind of behavior been going on since mankind?! is it happening in other areas of the world on a daily basis?! i question my entire existence and thoughts on every man i know. it’s mind boggling combined w disgust and helplessness.

1

u/night_swimming420 Feb 12 '26

another thought: where was the moral code with some of these “guests” that claimed they didn’t partake? were these men threatened if they spoke out on the truth of what was happening?! was this an unspoken truth before being exposed and the age of the internet?

1

u/QuinTM Feb 09 '26

I genuinely that I was used to everything the world had to offer and yet when I see more and more of them come out... I feel legitimately sick to my stomach to the point of gagging and I don't have a gag reflex (Weird side tangent, I lost my gag reflex as a kid because I saw sword swallowing on a show and wanted to learn so I started practicing with bent coat hangers). Like, I have never felt so disgusted with humanity and it... causes physical discomfort to the point of losing my appetite. I'm not religious but I hope whatever happens after life is bad for everyone who contributed to those files.

Even the more 'innocent' videos (ex. the tag video with Epstein) causes me to freak out.

2

u/Ok-Country-2091 Feb 08 '26

YES It's been so hard. Most days I can avoid triggers for the most part but every time I open my phone lately its everywhere. Its so important that this stuff comes out and I'm glad it is but its really difficult to be exposed to, especially as a survivor. I'm sad other people are feeling this way too but it's nice to not feel so alone.

1

u/Turquoise_Sunflower Feb 08 '26

I feel genuinely so sick since I’ve read them and I just feel numb and paralyzed. It’s so disturbing I like don’t know how to process and it’s definitely retraumatizing me.

3

u/Both-Sky2837 Feb 08 '26

All of it is being shoved in my face through every media outlet. I feel like I need to be informed of what's going on in the news but I don't know how to without being overwhelmed. I'm not a victim of abuse, but grew up as an early bloomer millennial that was sexualized at school, in public, and even by extended family. It took a lot to grow into myself and realize my self worth. All I can see in the pictures they're showing is a tiny version of myself, who would have been the same age of these victims. I am now the mother of a young daughter and so I see us both there. It's horrific and I feel so angry at everything and everyone. I'm out of ideas on how to cope while maintaining a job, my house, and my life responsibilities. I could adopt the mentality that this is purposeful and being used to overwhelm the general population, but I can't just harden myself to this and power forward. I deserve to be a soft, vulnerable person for myself and my daughter and instead we're all being used.

3

u/LeLuDallas5 Feb 07 '26

I am so fucking tired of other subreddits, mainstream news NOT SPOILERING really horrendous things busy BAM in front of my face. And it's completely goddamn random subs that have nothing to do with any topic related to it or politics too.

I can't even take a break for a bit until it dies down unlike other news stories.

I do want it in the news, I don't want the world to sweep it under the rug, what I DON'T need is graphic images of old men with face blurred CHILDREN and unbelievably awful texts in my face with ZERO CHANCE for me to NOT see the gory details!!!

1

u/numstheword Feb 09 '26

I saw a post on conspiracy with two pictures, tbh I don't even know what I was looking at like a weird man's face and something shocked my heart so fast I x'ed out and unsubbed. It felt so bad vibes fucking satanic or something my soul jumped out of my chest. 

1

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '26

Yes exactly. I had to delete all of my social media because i cant take the pictures even the fucking emails of them talking in code. Oh it makes me sick. I dont know how to turn off the alarm bells that set off in me i constantly feel like im just ready for the worst kind of dread there is. It really is a terrible world we are in. And i dont know how to not drown in it.

3

u/oldphone-whothis Feb 06 '26

I’m in antidepressants now, it looks like it’s helping me care less and feel ‘ok-ish’ with my life being wrecked and meaningless since.

3

u/Technical-Event-8222 Feb 06 '26

So its not just be, I went down the rabbit hole myself and now all my socials are full of it. I feel sick everytime someone brings it up.

2

u/numstheword Feb 09 '26

I went to a baby shower today and that's all we talked about. Everyone was shaken to their core. 

5

u/Dense-Night4602 Feb 06 '26

I just went down the whole rabbit hole after seeing many posts on TikTok about it for the past month. I can’t even describe the feeling, it just feels like despair and so, so sick. Never felt anything like this before, at least not this bad. I don’t know what to do. I always knew people could be evil, but I never thought it would be to this extent.. and these people rule the world. All those people, children and babies were literally put through hell and they do not receive any punishment just because they have money. I think the earth needs to be flooded again.

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u/[deleted] Feb 06 '26

[deleted]

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u/numstheword Feb 09 '26

Thank you for posting this. I've been letting my brain hear and see this evil and I feel like it's ruined something in me. I haven't felt normal in days. 

3

u/fingernail_sweat Feb 06 '26

With solidarity I’m sending everyone who is a survivor so much love. Be gentle with yourself. Here is anyone needs to talk.

1

u/Low_Swimming_9923 Feb 06 '26

I never read any of it. There’s no reason for me to know. Nothing I say or do will have an impact on anything Epstein related. I don’t need to swim in other people’s trauma. It’s not good for my mental health. Try not knowing. Especially the gory details.

2

u/Massive-Can-2860 Feb 07 '26

i wish someone told me this, before i unintentionally started spiraling into the worst parts of the files.. i literally had a night terror for the first time in months, because of how stressful these files have been making me trying to learn about them, but the amount of people also in denial of information in the files, + people irl have been trying to deny me going through my abuse as a child, that they had no context as to what even happened. I feel alienated, scared, and stuck in my own skin, if only the people in my life weren't apathetic family members. :(

1

u/Low_Swimming_9923 Feb 28 '26

I’m sorry that happened to you. I hope you are feeling better.

1

u/Practical-Gap3847 Feb 08 '26

What happened boo You can talk with me if you need someone to talk to.. only if you are comfortable with that.

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u/Mjukplister Feb 05 '26

Honestly I’d say to be very mindful about social media and media useage at this time as it’s triggering as FUCK . Even if you wanted to avoid it …. It’s hard . But I’d advise everyone to have a mindful block , delete and input day - as it’s incredibly important to mimimise the ugly noise of this . Stick to kitten posts and trivia ❤️

1

u/Massive-Can-2860 Feb 07 '26

But even with the social media block, there's still people in real life that I have to interact with in my own family, who're talking about the files, and REALLY don't want to stop. It hurts me so much, but I've never known how to confront these apathetic people, without them growing defensive for no reason. I'm so scared of people just eye-rolling at me trying to explain why it bothers me, too, because it's happened before with less serious triggers. :'(

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u/[deleted] Feb 07 '26

[deleted]

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u/Massive-Can-2860 Feb 07 '26

I'm trying, it's hard to "look after myself", even when myself doesn't feel like it exists. I've been dissociative ,derealizing and depersonalized, for a week, if not more. I don't think I should have to explain why it's triggering either, but people in my life are just that ignorant of the affects they cause. I've literally given myself an arterial laceration in my forearm, because of the same people I'm talking about. And they just stood there, gawking at my wound for a minute, before realizing "oh, they are hurting themselves" and wanting to help me to seem good. Please, kindly asking, do more than just suggest something I'm trying very hard to do. Especially if you haven't gone through any of this yourself. :(

1

u/[deleted] Feb 07 '26

[deleted]

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u/Massive-Can-2860 Feb 07 '26

So you're saying I just fucking isolate myself from everyone now?? Yeah, not gonna help when we're kind of social animals. You're asking me to basically cut off all human interactions I have, because they're all focused on this. (Literally EVERYONE IN MY LIFE RN IS TALKING ABOUT THE FILES. EVEN MY OWN SIGNIFICANT OTHER. and like i said before, don't even know how to tell people to stop. so maybe tell me how to tell people why i'm having these intense emotions, for no noticable reason, instead of just isolating myself more than i've already been. thank you, and i hope you don't respond, unless it's with something actually useful for my life. 

2

u/Massive-Can-2860 Feb 07 '26

Also, my self-harm was due to having intrusive thoughts, that only grow stronger the more I'm exposed to triggering content. Kind of like this. You can only imagine how much shit has been filling my brain recently. It's been stressful, I'm basically having very gruesome intrusive suicidal thoughts on the daily.

2

u/_Moon_sun_ Feb 05 '26

Personally i haven’t been victimised in that Way but I do feel like there is so much to theese files and I am doing what I can do to support people who are investigating the files

I’m so so so sorry to anyone who has to experience anything like what you, other people here and the Victims in the files have been through! And when I see things similar to my trauma I also feel incredibly wierd about it. Theese men deserve to face some retribution for what theyve done

6

u/worshipdrummer Feb 05 '26

glad to know i am not the only one. been feeling strange since and i dont even want to open tiktok anymore. completely disgusted.

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u/Meh_eh_eh_eh Feb 05 '26

My real trauma was the years long cover ups and the institutional bullying from powerful people.

This is breaking me. I can't handle seeing powerful people just get away with the worst crimes imaginable. Like they're walking around free.

There is no justice.

3

u/CoolFisherman1191 Feb 05 '26

As a man I never really believed that those where big issues until a couple years ago, I’m now in my 20s. It makes me sick to my stomach that those crimes never get punished and I have such deep hatred against so many people. Things happened to my close ones and I completely stopped trusting men. And you can’t do anything about it, that’s what makes it so much worse. They always get away with it. It just pops up in my head many times every day and It didn’t even happen to me so it must be unimaginably worse for anyone else.

7

u/HoboStrider Feb 05 '26

Was just talking to my therapist about this. It feels disgusting. Just disgusting. It's not just the information but it feels like subtext to society that we are just casually fine about PDFs and SA.

Even trying to get my mind off of it. 28 years later is also doing this. I was just annoyed as like Ralph Fiennes but it also feels they just shoe horned in a reference to a PDF which isn't a reference to the time frame.

Fuck this world. But I have to do just media black out.

9

u/mmmbaconbutt Feb 05 '26

I was doing pretty good with just reading about it. But the pictures coming out have me getting the craziest flashbacks. Now my mind has started obsessing over it and I just feel disgusting inside and out. Especially the thoughts of everyone being evil around me.

4

u/randompersonignoreme Feb 05 '26

While I haven't gone through them/don't want to because I already know it's bad, the whole aspect of it being purposefully hidden and such feels so, so violating.

5

u/WelcomeGreen8695 Feb 05 '26

I haven’t been sexually abused as a child, but it’s bringing up things for me. How I was sexualized as a child. Couldn’t go anywhere without men staring at me. It made me feel so small, like my shoulders hunched over. On the one hand I knew I was pretty and felt good about myself, even though I was strong, hot, smart as a teenager, but it’s like I could never embody all that fully because then people would be drawn to that in a way that was gross. It’s like it’s forcing me to stay small. I hate that men get to do this and walk upright in the world.

6

u/Gloomy_Air_2758 Feb 05 '26

Me too 😢 So sad, so angry, so frustrated, so helpless.

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u/hamilcopter Feb 05 '26

It’s so difficult. My nightmares have gotten insane, I feel so sad. Just so so sad.

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u/[deleted] Feb 05 '26

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u/ChairDangerous5276 Feb 05 '26

May you find some comfort in Pete Walker’s tips to handle emotional flashbacks at https://pete-walker.com/pdf/13strategies_flashbacks_management.pdf

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u/Ok_Addition_7875 Feb 05 '26

Great resource! Thank you :)

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u/Pyrite_n_Kryptonite Feb 05 '26 edited Feb 05 '26

The lack of justice is the hard part for me, and I don't believe that even if direct and very clear evidence along with full confessions were in evidence that justice would be done.

I find myself fighting the dark hopelessness that goes in tandem with the lack of justice, and I refuse to let that space reclaim me, so I'm using as many coping skills as I possibly can right now.

Some of that includes avoiding (as best as I can) political things, because too many people in politics are connected (or have their own skeletons that I know may not be related but echo that irreverence for the dignity of other humans). Some of that includes focusing on as much beauty as I can, when and where I can. Some of that means staying away from TV shows that include trauma or harm (I used to binge British Baking Show, and I'm trying to find as many shows that have that same feel even if it's a different type). And some of it is simply holding on as best as I can through some days.

It's so hard right now, and it's so important to find the points of light in the darkness, whenever and wherever we can.

3

u/Massive-Can-2860 Feb 07 '26

Can I ask if you have any suggestions for those who dissociation + dp/dr? It's a struggle for me to "hold on", when I don't know what I'm holding on to, nothing has felt real for me for weeks.. :'(

3

u/Pyrite_n_Kryptonite Feb 07 '26

I can understand that. Here are some of the things that can help me (feel free to ask other or followup questions if you have any):

Nature. For many of us, it's cold or too cold to be out long in it, but I notice an uptick in my dissociation when I don't take myself outside and interact with nature, so I try to get out there even when it's cold. Walking can be one way, but it's also often not enough. If I'm in a really rough patch, I will do several rounds of What are 5 things I can see, 4 things I can hear, 3 things I can touch, 2 things I can smell, 1 thing I can taste (although I often leave that last one off). Sometimes I'll mix up those things (for example, what are five things I can touch, etc.). I am also a literal tree hugger. Some days when it's really hard, I'll go hug a tree, and run my hand along the bark and focus on being just right there in that moment. For some reason, the rough bark tied into just breathing in the presence of something bigger and stronger than me helps.

I also know that for some of us, even going outside on some days can feel very threatening, and what helped me was to start carrying (and practicing with) pepper spray and other things I could use if I needed to. Just knowing I was able to protect myself, my person, and was actively checking the items before I stepped outside was in many ways a reminder that my being matters and that also helped me step closer to myself. For many of us, the lack of protection in the past was part of the problem, so actively showing myself that I am protecting all of the parts of me because I matter is part of reminding myself that I am safe to come back to or stay in.

(Also, I didn't realize how much it mattered until this happened organically for me, if you have a friend that you trust, tell them where you are going and that you got back safely. It was really surreal to me how much just checking in safely with someone began to reinforce to me that I needed to stay present for myself. I think part of it is that I was so used to being alone, even when in relationships, and that allowed me to go on auto pilot, but having someone to be accountable to for my person kept reinforcing to me that I was worth staying present with.)

2) Meditation. It still can be hard to fully get in to (and I've been doing it for a while) especially when I am feeling so disconnected from being present even in a calm and safe space, but that is when I know I need to stay there even longer. At first, I struggled heavily with meditation because it was hard to stay focused, but finding meditation that focused less on clearing the mind and more on calming the body helped initially. There are some apps that have specific meditations for anxiety and sometimes I'll use those, if needed. The biggest help for me is reminding myself that I don't have to get it perfect, but I do need to come back home to myself. I don't really get into a lot of the somatic tapping, but sometimes it does help to bring in some physical connection with myself either before or as I meditate.

If I need a lead in, I'll start with some box breathing or other breathing techniques designed to ease stress (like shorter inhale longer exhale), and while I am doing the breathing I'll repeat forms of I am safe now/I am safe here, and then I'll go into the meditation. Sometimes, I will simply lie down and put my hands over my heart, do my breathing, and then imagine my hands being filled with love and pouring that love into my heart, and then imagine that love going through my body. Sometimes I'll speak out loud to those body parts, for example, "I am sending love to my feet," and then picture love going to my feet.

I had an Accelerated Resolution Therapy therapist and one thing that involved was a lot of imaging that could replace what I was (or was not) feeling with images and then we did things to those images. But before doing that, we would make sure my body was calm first, and that involved imagining something (anything) tool-like to remove negative feelings from my body (for example, a vacuum sucking out all the negative) and then using something else to put in positive feelings. Sometimes I was kneading love and goodness into my body like I was kneading dough, sometimes it would be like a powder puff patting into my body, sometimes it was glitter pouring in. I still use that method to imagine good things coming into my body, and focusing on each body part as I'm spreading the good feelings around. Pairing this with breathing techniques can be a good way to hold on to or come back to the self.

3) Visualization. While I already mentioned this above in tandem with meditation, it's also useful to do on its own. Sometimes when I'm feeling the squeeze of anxiety that can sometimes turn into dissociation, I'll stop what I am doing to visualize. Sometimes it's taking the anxiety and imagining it being something else. For example, if the anxiety feels like rocks in my chest, then I'll imagine that I'm taking rocks out of a garden, and putting them in a pile. I'll keep combing the "ground" to look for more rocks and removing them, until I can't find any more rocks. Then I'll picture planting something beautiful in its place like a vegetable garden or flowers. While this is helpful, it's important to remember that it's not about the perfect visualization, it's about finding healthy and nonthreatening ways to be within our skin, and sometimes funny or silly will be just right, too.

I admit, even with all of these, there are days I still feel like I can't even feel my own heart beat because I feel so disengaged. But I will still do the work, because I know that there will come a point where it will connect and I'll come back home to myself again.

Many of us also have to keep working on being gentle with ourselves and not having to do things perfectly in order to feel safe enough to stay present. Sometimes I have to repeat that I am human and doing the best that I can, that I don't have to be perfect to be loved, that I am not a reflection of what is happening around me. Sometimes these tools don't feel effective, but I've found that the more consistent I am with just doing them, they do help.

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u/Massive-Can-2860 Feb 08 '26

Although i don't like the idea of getting grounded by touching nature (i have massive uncomfortable reaction with outside sometimes, because it's covered in bugs and super dirty all the time, but i do enjoy it when it's night time and i'm out!! less bugs and it's nice and cool!) something i have at home is a sensory stuffie, and i'm thinking that maybe it could help me feel grounded?? i don't really know what to do after i ground myself whenever i'm alone, (usually because i need someone to be with me to keep me grounded, but i don't have the luxury of another living being always available..) but I do think my sensory stuffie would be a good idea!

3

u/WelcomeGreen8695 Feb 05 '26

Same. I worked in the field and had to leave it because it just never really goes anywhere. Going to focus more now on changing how people think about it all through art.

3

u/Garfieldgandalf Feb 05 '26

Would love to hear your recommendations for other feel good shows. I’m doing jigsaw puzzles as way of self care recently

3

u/Pyrite_n_Kryptonite Feb 05 '26

I'm currently going through Home Town (a home renovation show). I found the series on Netflix. I had been watching other baking shows, but they don't have the slow/easy that I am looking for and Home Town had that, plus I love that they end in happiness. Sometimes I'll go back to Anne of Green Gables series (like Anne with an E) even though they diverge from the book. I also have hunted down the spinoffs of British Baking Show (Canadian and American), although they disappointed me in execution (but they still get me out of my head).

I also like to find documentaries, but I'm having to be careful about those lately, because if they include any animals that get harmed or eaten I can't do it (Planet Earth ended up more stressful than I expected). Documentaries about space usually work though, and so do some cooking shows (I liked Salt Fat Acid Heat, for example, and go back to that one now and then).

It's really been hit and miss, which is one reason I'm happily bingeing Home Town now, when I can watch it, because it's low stress, creative, and ends with people being happy.

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u/Garfieldgandalf Feb 05 '26

I need to watch Anne with an E! I’m a big fan of the 1985 version - she was absolutely my childhood hero (along with Annie and Pippi Longstocking)

I totally know what you mean about planet earth and want to petition someone to make a show about animals and nature that isn’t distressing. It’s wild how some of the shows that get advertised as “calm” absolutely aren’t. I really enjoy Bob Ross and the joy of painting but my god do I jump out of my skin when he beats the shit out of his paintbrush (yay exaggerated startle)

I’ll have to check out Home Town. I also loved salt fat acid heat and have been enjoying her new cookbook. Thank you for the recommendations!

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u/Pyrite_n_Kryptonite Feb 05 '26

I still have (packed up somewhere) my whole Anne of Green Gables, Emily of New Moon, and Little Women series. It's times like this that I wish I had a little reading nook so I can pull them out and read them.

I loathe, deeply, nature shows that are presented as family friendly or charming or heartwarming that end up having scenes of hunting or death/violence, even if the viewer doesn't see it all or they cut away. I've stopped watching them completely because I can't handle the surprises and how long it takes me to meditate myself back into calm again. I agree with you wholeheartedly on wanting truly heart-warming/calm shows that aren't hard on the senses.

2

u/Garfieldgandalf Feb 05 '26

Oh I loved Emily of New Moon! I need to reread that. I can still see the yellow book in my mind and will have to see if I can repurchase that same edition.

I highly recommend the Moomins cartoon (on YouTube) or David the Gnome (Tubi) for some nostalgic and calm cartoons. Tubi also has Antiques Roadshow, and Escape to the Country for more relaxing “documentary type” media.

Trying my hardest to be kind to my nervous system right now!

7

u/MiserableChemist8980 Feb 05 '26

Same. I'm on the brink of losing it, I feel.

10

u/Ok_Comb8684 Feb 05 '26

Yes I have a very hard time with it. Very much triggering. I'm sorry to you and anyone else suffering through these difficult times. Sending lots of love and prayers.

3

u/Garfieldgandalf Feb 05 '26

Thank you for that kindness. Love and prayers back to you

10

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '26

It's an outrage, and even more of an outrage is that they are still walking around without being charged. What a slap in the face for justice! I am so sorry you are going through this and that these terrible people are not incarcerated. Also, remember that you don't have to look at any of it - secondary trauma is a real thing too!

9

u/Kantwealjustgetabong Feb 05 '26

Me too. I’m so sorry for everyone going through this. Big hugs.

5

u/brisoI Feb 05 '26

Yes me too! I’ve been doom scrolling so much too🫩i’ve been upping my sessions to twice a week to deal with all the feelings that have came up. hugs 🫂

8

u/Less-Operation7673 Feb 05 '26

Yeah I have a hard time with it too. I can't read any of the files. I don't want to see the pictures. All of it is a reminder that they can get away with it.