YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

You know how Paul often brings up how watching serial killer documentaries on Netflix is comforting? I have something similar. I am comforted by breaking news coverage of tragedies, whether it be a mass shooting, tornado, whatever. To be clear: I do NOT enjoy that these things happen…quite the opposite.
But there’s something comforting to me about sitting down and watching news coverage for a few hours. Sometimes I even go on YouTube and watch old coverage of things like 9/11, JFK assassination, Hurricane Katrina, etc.

Does anyone else find comfort in something unsettling like Paul and I do?

As you the site header says, you are not alone.

The balance, so far as I understand, is between wallowing in the moments, replaying the trauma constantly, and ignoring by pretending nothing happened.

• I've pretty much given up on TV, it's become so frenetic. And information comes only in bits and pieces, because that's how reality unfolds.
  
  I'd rather get my info from newspapers, magazines, or from news sites where I can somewhat manage the flow.....
  
  Current events are harder to take than historical ones, probably due to the uncertainty involved.
  
  Sometimes, when I've watched a tragedy unfold, covered by news stations, I wonder how they can keep their composure. Maybe that's the comfort...

(BTW - Just tried the List function, since these thoughts are a bit disjointed )