Discussion Thread: Feeling Overwhelmed

[Content Note: Violence.]


The past few weeks have been especially demoralizing for those of us who challenge the culture of abuse, in all its many grotesque incarnations. A lot of depressing and demoralizing news has come quickly and relentlessly. Almost everyone I know is feeling overwhelmed at the moment—and the people who aren't are the people who don't pay attention, precisely to avoid feeling like this.

Among the people who belong to communities being targeted by violence and silenced with harassment and abandoned by the people supposed to protect them and denied justice, over and over—people who cannot turn away, cannot take a break, cannot catch a breath—there is a lot of bone-deep physical and emotional exhaustion, and fear, and rage, and discontent.

Among those of us who work in advocacy, or alt journalism, or social work, or some field that means we have to keep vigilant and immersed, I know there is a lot of exhaustion, and despondency, and a feeling of impotency.

Among people who are not personally affected, who are watching from the sidelines wanting to do what they can to help imperiled and attacked communities, there is exhaustion, and helplessness, and sadness.

These are, of course, not mutually exclusive populations. Many of us are part of all three: Victimized, bearing witness, standing in solidarity.

So here is a thread, if you need to talk about how you're feeling at the moment, whether that's sad, angry, motivated, despondent, tired, outnumbered, disillusioned, resolved, all of the above.

[Naturally, we care in this space about abuse of multiple marginalized populations, not just those which have been prominently in the news. People are welcome to speak to their own experiences. As always, please don't play Oppression Olympics. If you see comparisons that can be made, use them to build bridges.]