Dissociation

Every single day I read the news and it feels like I’m going crazy.

Who can relate?

— God (@thegodpodcast.com) May 6, 2025 at 10:53 PM

Dissociation. I’ve un?intentionally been away from most news for a couple of days. Just saw the unhinged rantings of a mad king posted and my first thought was – I can’t read ALL CAPS and I honestly do not even compute. WTAF?

2nd thought…how is this real life? How far can we fall? America – as we once sort of knew her – wouldn’t tolerate such degrading nonsense from a drunk half-uncle once removed. Yet, just. It will never make sense.

Dissociation is what keeps me breathing. Or as the photo for this post states – My favorite conspiracy theory is that everything is going to be okay.

Systems are crumbling – but daily life continues. The dissonance is real

• “It’s reading an article about childhood hunger and genocide, only to scroll down to a carefree listicle highlighting the best-dressed celebrities or a whimsical quiz about: ‘What Pop-Tart are you?’”

• Naming an experience can be a form of psychological relief. “The worst thing in the world is to feel that you’re the only one who feels this way and that you are going quietly mad and everyone else is in denial,” says Caroline Hickman, a psychotherapist and instructor at the University of Bath specializing in climate anxiety. “That terrifies people. It traumatizes people.”

• “People don’t shut down because they don’t feel anything,” says Hickman. “They shut down because they feel too much.” Understanding this overwhelm is an important first step in resisting inaction – it helps us see fear as a trap.”

• “We are in a period now when it’s absolutely essential to protest,” says Hartmann, citing the Harvard professor Erica Chenoweth, who argues that just 3.5% of a population engaging in peaceful protest can hold back authoritarian movements.”

🔥

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— All Things Jennifer (@allthingsjennifer.bsky.social) May 23, 2025 at 12:53 AM