How to protect your mental health from distressing, divisive war news


By AGENCY

The endless reading of negative news stories online is known as doomscrolling, and it can can leave a mark on your psyche. Photo: dpa

People weeping over dead bodies of family members, standing blood-besmirched beside destroyed homes, or fleeing the fighting in panic and bridled rage. On television, and especially social media, you can’t ignore the steady drumbeat of grim reports and gruesome images from the war in Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas.

They can leave a mark on your psyche, “so from a psychological standpoint you should take breaks from taking them in, particularly images,” advises Nathalie Krahe, a member of the Professional Association of German Psychologists (BDP), answering our questions.

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