I don’t know how helpful this will be but I’ll give it a go anyway. One big difference I can immediately see between us is that you’re retired whereas I am not and I find that I’m far too busy at work to think about how doomed the world is. Perhaps a hobby you can really lean into would serve the same purpose for you?

As far as social media goes I was already only on Reddit until the great exodus. By the time I found Lemmy I was already out of the habit of going onto Reddit every day and I’ve noticed since then I have been a lot better at ignoring the political stuff that comes across my YouTube feed unless I specifically feel like watching it.

I’ve been dealing with depression a lot longer than there’s been an oompa loompa in the White House but I actually find it’s been easier to deal with since I’ve been working more and distracted less by social media.

Again, I dont know how helpful you might find this but I figured it was at least worth mentioning what seems to work for me. Perhaps you might find a mix of several answers on this thread works for you. You can’t solve the problems of the world but there is always a way to feel better about your little corner of it and yourself as a whole.

Edit: just wanted to clarify I’m not suggesting that you lose yourself in work to block out the noise of the world, rather that it makes the free time you do have far too precious to spend worrying about things that are well outside of your control.

What other goals are you working on? I need intellectual pursuits to focus on in order to stay sane - it gives my brain a break. Psychology and philosophy has kept me sane.

Yes, I built a company from nothing over the past decade and it’s all I can do now to make myself go into the shop and do what I used to love to do.

The only thing that has helped is dedicated, disciplined study of political theory and history combined with direct action informed by that knowledge with a group of similarly-minded revolutionaries. Let this radicalize you, not lead you to despair.

Find a way to help that connects with who you are. I pick up litter at the park. I can’t fix the worlds problems but don’t have to look at the same fast food packet every day for a week whenever I walk my dog.

I started using LeechBlock to limit the amount of time spent on social media including lemmy, it’s been really helpful. Inspired by this video. Has helped me.

You could try to get into a hobby. Something to pour some money into, an interest you won’t stop babbling about. Become a geek in something, anything. Is there something from your youth you enjoyed? To get your head completely fixiated on that topic?

I mean, you can’t do anything against what Trump does, so why not just ignore it and deal with the consequences once they arrive? It’s not like anyone can change his mind - better save that energy and brain power and use it somewhere else.

The point I would like to get to is that nobody can change what Trump will do, the only way is to deal with the consequences of his actions.

Personally, I was in the same situation as you a few years ago. I was in complete despair, burned out by the sheer pressure of the ever changing political landscape, always slipping bit by bit closer to fascism. Thankfully, a friend pulled me out of it by making me engage with local political organizations. I joined a marxist group, read a lot on political theory and on history. Only then I realized that what I was fearing the most was the unpredictable. But it doesn’t have to be like that. The more I expanded my knowledge in terms of history, economics, and politics, the more I felt like I at least knew what to expect, that I was somewhat in control of my fear. Don’t get me wrong, I still dread the future, but all that I can say now is that at least I now somewhat know what the future brings. And while my outlook still stays bleak, having an understanding of what’s happening around you lets you have a more rational and hands down approach towards your fears. Also, engaging politically at a local level helps a lot too. You can make an impact and see things changing for the better at least in your direct vicinity.

I feel like your issue is that you’re not probably giving yourself space.

Being active is good, it’s healthy. However, that’s not what you need. What you need is a break. You need a break from politics and social media. You need to have a complete reset mentally, and the way to do that is to shut off all the noise and spend at least a month living your life without any social media. Like actually take the steps to block all the social media apps/sites for all your devices. That means no Lemmy, no Reddit, no Discord, no Instagram, no Facebook, nothing.

You also need to talk with your girlfriend and tell her to stop talking about politics with you full stop, perhaps this would be good for her as well, but I digress. You need to explain to her as well as understand yourself that this is a serious boundary that you need to have for your well being. You’re aware that doomscrolling and social media are bad for you, however, you need to take action to give yourself the break that you need.

Come join me in Azeroth. There is no politics in Barrens chat. Only pain.

You are NOT ALONE.

There has been a fucking epidemic of mental unwellness cascading since November.

We are all dealing with this, you are NOT alone.

This is a known and statistically verified fact.

What you are feeling is a normal response to a clear and present danger. If anything, your reaction is rational.

Fucking stay strong, we in this together, those of us who know, know, and we watch out for our fellow brothers and sisters.

You are not forgotten, you are not left behind, we are all just regrouping. Your emotions are valid, yes, this is real, this is not a drill, reality is in a state of emergency, and you are not insane.

Ok?

❤️

Here’s a book about people describing similar experiences during the nazification of another country, it’s called They Thought They Were Free. I’m going to spoiler a link to a copy so it doesn’t autoload a swastika on our cool people board. This book isn’t about politics, it’s about how it feels when your country falls to fascism.

That goofy, fun loving person that I remember I used to be is now replaced with a quiet, cynical shut in. My dream of living in a house I own is forever gone. Debt, disease in the family, the onset of potential wars, and the cost of just being alive have pushed that fun loving person down into a deep dark hole. I used to live in fear of the world ending in fire but now, as fucked up as it may sound, I kind of sympathize with the villains in movies. The world has gotten to the point, in my opinion, that shit needs to burn to make way for a new world. This world is just too fucked up beyond repair. It needs a hard reset. So, you’re not alone. The mental health has taken a nose dive and hit every branch of the ugly tree on its way down.

I have basically felt that the future was all down hill 10 years ago. Nothing has convinced me otherwise. Thats why I stay in my own little bubble and try to disconnect from the happenings. There is no point raging about what we can’t change.

My wife had me block CNN at the network level to stop her reading all the news and becoming depressed.

I’ve found it comforting to embrace the inevitability of my death. People are afraid of fascism, climate change, nuclear war, terrorism, mass shootings, car accidents and fire becausebthey personally fear violent death. Simply throw your hands up and say “I will die - and theres nothing I can do about it”

If your concern is more abstract, such as a fear for the downfall of the American republic, I would say that we’re all a little too old to be believing in fairy tales