kenton

London Bridge attack. Latest atrocity in a long, long list of atrocities that have happened all over the world.

Why is there so much evil? Maybe when I was drinking I could pretend the evil wasn't quite so real. Now I see it properly and it's terrifying.

My AV pounces on news like this. Tells me the world is horrible, might as well drink. What's the point of trying to build a strong, sober future? Might get blown up or run over or stabbed next time I go out for a walk. Might as well get drunk. Pretend it's not really happening.

Tears running down my face when I'm typing this because I can't stop thinking about all the people affected by evil. Every day, somewhere around the world, people are suffering.

Being sober means there's nowhere to hide from these emotions. Got to feel them, got to let the tears fall.

I will not give in to my AV. The world isn't horrible. Good still far outweighs evil. By staying sober I can do something to help those affected. Make sure they're not forgotten. Teach my kids that we don't give in to evil. We don't let it win.

Just needed to work through these emotions and typing that helped. Looking forward to another strong, sober day.

Polaroid

Please remember that you will ever get struck by terrorism is extremely unlikely.

The worst thing that happened to me this last week was that I relapsed. Big time. Decided to go inpatient detox, and the withdrawals when detoxing... That, to me, was terror. I can't think I've ever been in so much horror my entire life.

Please don't bring upon yourself your own terror.

Dee74

There is great beauty in this world, great achievements, great courage, awesome inspirations.

That's what I try and focus on

D

livinginhope

When things of this nature bring me down, I like to read this brief essay by the late great science fiction author, Robert A. Heinlein. Please take the time to do so. It always makes me feel better.

Heinlein Society

Thebadger

Ive been in service against them. They highg in drugs specially their scuide bombers and lone wolfs. Its well known thing they doesnt drink alcohol but their members mostly drug addicted chemical or natural.

saoutchik

It was an appalling incident but I find it helpful to keep things in perspective. 9000 Londoners die prematurely every year due to our illegally poor air quality, that is one person per hour 24 hours a day, 365 days a year not to mention people like me who indulged in life threatening drinking.

Fly N Buy

Good job on 7 months of sobriety - well done.

Our emotions start to return sans alcohol. This is steeping stone to a sober life or a byproduct. Evil isn't going away it has been part of the human story forever and will continue. It is only how I process it that is different. Sounds like you are processing it in normal fashion - sympathy, empathy and pain.

Emotional sobriety is living in balance with our human-ness. You are on your way - we who are sober get to experience reality and truth. That is truly a gift while not always recognized.

Prayers

Fly N Buy

Seems to minimize the event - no offense, but the two are not even close in my mind.

Dee74

I know it's a trying time - but lets not bicker amongst ourselves.
We all have varying ways to try and make sense of madness and tragedy.

D

dwtbd

Empathy and compassion are benevolent human qualities and rational responses to tragedy.
With AVRT I learned how to achieve separation between the desire for alcohol (the Beast) and my higher, truer and more rational self. The AV( the bark of the Beast ) suggests witnessing the pain of others is painful for ourselves and relief is warranted. But the desire itself is what is being put forward and demanding to be indulged , the feelings are just a convenient way for the AV to propose more alcohol consumption. (If IT weren't the desire for alcohol, why propose alcohol as a remedy? )
Zeroing and pin pointing the desire and ITs AV can turn the idea or notion of relieve from witnessing malevolent acts, into what from ITs perpsective is ITs goal, "look at that tragedy, lets got drunk, well not drunk right away , just a little booze, it will make you feel better"
IT is without remorse , empathy or compassion, IT just wants more of ITs precious stuff and the murder of children can be as good of a reason as 'celebrating' a team championship. The goal is always more precious stuff and IT is not above using your better qualities against you , don't let IT turn you into something you certainly are not or don't want to be.

sweetichick

So sorry to hear what happened and you are in the thick of it. Just try to stay positive.

Ananda

Kenton

I think that one of the hardest lessons I am learning over all the years is that the world that we live in is a sensory world full of pain and suffering just as it is full of joy and ecstasy, each in full measure.

I am fairly confident you will not drink, but then as is said ... I have to learn how to go through these experiences in a different way. Accepting the world as it is has been very difficult and I certainly don't do that perfectly. And accepting is not approval or love or anything like that.

I am sorry for how difficult this part of the walk is. I know you will find a way to walk it sober.

tomsteve

the less i watch the news, the less im effected by whats going on in the world.
yes,theres a lot of evil, but the less i watch it, the more i see good

Steely

What can I say Kenton? It is an outrage of the highest order and I am so sorry.

I can't go beyond what ananda has said and am sending you all of of my love and what strength I have, to keep you safe in body and soul.

Anything else would be trite.

Steely

You can switch off the news TS but you can't switch off the reality.

tomsteve

yes, i cant switch off reality. but i dont have to allow myself to focus on things im powerless over- to a point.
i can go out and focus on the good and spread it or i can focus on the bad and spread it.

im not powerless over whether or not focus on whats bad.

PhoenixJ

Look at history. Holocaust, Richard the Lion-heart slaughtering 3,000 Muslims out of convenience, Emperors building towers to the sky out of human skulls- tens of tens of thousands of them.
There are and have always been good people- Ghandi, Jesus (whether god or not- he existed), Ann Frank, Buddha.....
Now we have 24/7 news, world leaders on twitter, f/b, email, blah. We see it as it happens. People everywhere in every country have mobile recording devices. In cars, in bike helmets, on police uniforms- every where. The world has always been full of good, bad and just is. Most of us fall into the just is category. All our tears in the world does not ease the suffering of the dead. BUT by remaining sober and trying- in our own little worlds to be good people, better people every day- we can- and do make a difference.
Strange turns of 'fate' have turned on what at the time seemed to be the most inconsequential things. A smile, not getting angry at a meeting. Being tolerant of others- respectful of others who have different clothes, skin, religions or accents. Fundamentalism- or depression at being in a disconnected world? Perhaps a person who kills gets despairing, loses hope and thinks bugger it- I might as well kill....
Do not drink- it makes no difference to them. I makes a lot of difference to you. Support to you.

Polaroid

Exactly.

Terrorists have always sought attention, and the age of social media has enabled them to find it with unprecedented breadth. They use social networks to recruit, to inspire, and to connect, but they also rely on social media bystanders—everyday, regular people—to spread the impacts of their terror further than they could themselves, and to confuse authorities with misinformation. That amplification encourages more terrorism, inspires copycats, and turns the perpetrators into martyrs. It also traumatizes the families of the murdered victims, as well as the public at large.

The motivation for terrorism is not mere murder or maiming but the incitement of deep fear in an entire community or nation. To achieve that aim, terrorists need the media’s help. That applies both to the news networks, which often play the same scene on loop despite having no new information, and to social media, where people rush to express their concern and outrage. Along the way, misinformation and fear spreads like wildfire. That’s the playbook for these events now, and research suggests it gives terrorists exactly what they want.

From an article I stumbled upon that very well describes my thoughts on the subject.

Believe it or not, the world is more peaceful now than it has ever been in human history.

Ananda

I really wish that everyone would take some time to express some support for Kenton in what is a hard time instead of getting into opinions about stuff.

No matter what you say, believe or feel... Kenton deserves some comfort in this difficult time that has hit so close to home for her.

Kenton ... please just process through this as is best for you and feel free to pm me or steely for support or comfort. We are here.

Love
Nands

Ananda

I wish I could double thank you