this post talks about animal abuse tho not in any detail, so please be warned
this isnt directly related to my SI but it is something that bothers me and i'm trying to deal with and i just wanted to get some kind of feedback on it.. i've never heard of anyone else who has this problem, ever, and it makes me feel like kind of an over-sensitive freak sometimes.
i cant STAND to hear about animals being hurt or abused. you know how some ppl will be triggered and/or upset if they read about SA or something like that-i can read about SA fine, but if someone tells me about, or i read about, an animal being hurt, it will put me into a depression for hours.
case in point-i was reading another thread on this board about SI and a study they did with rats, and the study was cruel (im not even going to write it out because even writing out what happened will mess with my head). after i read that post i was depressed for hours. it just made me feel so helpless.
i just cant stand to hear about animals being hurt. my bf has come home and been like "man, i saw this dog today" and if i can tell from his tone its not going to be a happy story i have to stay stop-dont tell me, i dont want to know. he knows now, to the point where he doesnt ever try to tell me anything sad to do with animals.
am i the only person like this? i mean it doesnt just bum me out, it makes me really sad and in the past i've even SI'd over it, tho not often. is there anyone else that has this reaction to hearing of animals being hurt?
i want to deal with it somehow because i hate the feeling i get when it happens, because sometimes it makes me want to SI just so i can think about something else.
i have no idea where to put this, so i'll put it here
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9mmPrincess
- settling in
- Posts: 76
- Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2004 10:24 am
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Guest
I know what you mean.
One thing that has helped me is this: if I get really triggered by hearing about, reading about, seeing or thinking about animal abuse, to the extent that I feel upset enough to SI, I think to myself that my SI ins won't help those animals at all, but using that time in another way could. So I go online, so to websites that fight for animal rights, and do things like sign petitions, join mailing lists, send emails promoting animal rights to friends, etc.
Another thing is realising that it is totally OK to be very bothered and upset about it, and the fact that I am upset means that I care, and caring is a good thing, especially if it takes you to acting to help in some way. And that if I let the sadness and anger it makes me feel take over, then I won't be in any sort of position to even try and do something to help, which will make me feel even less in control, which will make me far more likely to SI.
If none of that works and I feel like it's just focusing my mind on the negatives more, reading or looking at or listening to to even just remembering examples where animals are happy and well treated, or where people have fought for their rights, or where laws have been changed or made to protect animal rights can help. Because we have to remember that there are millions of healthy, happy animals in the world, millions of responsible, caring pet and working animal owners who treat animals fantastically. And that things do get better and improve every day. And that I can help.
Take care of yourself, you are a wonderful person to care so much.
One thing that has helped me is this: if I get really triggered by hearing about, reading about, seeing or thinking about animal abuse, to the extent that I feel upset enough to SI, I think to myself that my SI ins won't help those animals at all, but using that time in another way could. So I go online, so to websites that fight for animal rights, and do things like sign petitions, join mailing lists, send emails promoting animal rights to friends, etc.
Another thing is realising that it is totally OK to be very bothered and upset about it, and the fact that I am upset means that I care, and caring is a good thing, especially if it takes you to acting to help in some way. And that if I let the sadness and anger it makes me feel take over, then I won't be in any sort of position to even try and do something to help, which will make me feel even less in control, which will make me far more likely to SI.
If none of that works and I feel like it's just focusing my mind on the negatives more, reading or looking at or listening to to even just remembering examples where animals are happy and well treated, or where people have fought for their rights, or where laws have been changed or made to protect animal rights can help. Because we have to remember that there are millions of healthy, happy animals in the world, millions of responsible, caring pet and working animal owners who treat animals fantastically. And that things do get better and improve every day. And that I can help.
Take care of yourself, you are a wonderful person to care so much.
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green chameleon
- part of the fixtures
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- Contact:
I am an cat rescuer and am very upset to hear about animanl abuse. I joined a group called Best Friends b/c instead of focusing on the negative and telling horror stories, they focus on the positive and tell you all the good things that are happening with animal rights. I feel safe opening mail from them b/c I know it won't be triggery. I also hate to hear about it at all. It's very triggery for me b/c animals are so defenceless and don't understand WY something bad is happening to them. If someone starts to tell me something bad or if something like that comes on TV or radio I tell them not to tell me or change the station. I can't take it at all. It means you care. It's just like any other triggery thing, do your best to avoid it.
It's hard to cut when you're holding a cat.
"Where are we first and last, bound together in our past. Much too cruel, much to fast, much too quick to anger. Traps laid bare in my face set to keep me in my place, say goodbye to the child, life it seems is colder." The Chameleons
"Where are we first and last, bound together in our past. Much too cruel, much to fast, much too quick to anger. Traps laid bare in my face set to keep me in my place, say goodbye to the child, life it seems is colder." The Chameleons
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9mmPrincess
- settling in
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- Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2004 10:24 am
thanks guys, and plantt i got your pm and i'll be writing you back shortly 
it's nice to know i'm not the only one. i do want to volunteer, i think that would help me a lot, if i felt like i was doing something and was part of the solution. i do try to avoid hearing about it but sometimes its just unavoidable, like when i was reading that thread about SI and someone started talking about a study they did with rats, it was only a sentence or two long and i read fast, so i sort of read it before i could stop myself :/
growing up, all the animals we had when i was a kid were rescue animals, and we had numerous cats, three dogs, two bunny rabbits, chickens, ducks and geese one time-this is kind of sad but it has a happy ending so it should be ok- my mom and i were driving and we came upon this dog that had been hit by a car. it was still alive so we looked at its tags and its owner wasnt far away so we brought it to the owner, and the guy said "leave her where you found her, i cant be bothered". i couldnt believe it and neither could my mom, but she would NEVER abandon an animal in need like that, so she took her to the vet, turns out she had a broken leg but was otherwise ok, she told the vet the story, and that we were going to keep the dog and would pay the medical bills, and the vet said oh-one other thing you might want to know-she's pregnant, and the puppies are fine 
a few months later she had TEN puppies being a little kid, i was in heaven, i had sooo much fun playing with those puppies eventually she found them all good homes, and found the momma dog a good home too cuz she really only wanted to have one dog at a time. our other dog swoop we got in a similar fashion-her and my stepmonster were out driving and drove by a yard with a dog in it that wasnt being treated right. my mom stopped and said something to the owner and he was like if you give so much of a shit take the damn dog. and she did
since being an adult and out on my own i've rescued three kitties-one of who'm was pregnant and had kittens. what is it about rescue animals always being pregnant :p
the kitty i have right now is a rescue kitty, his name is wonton. about a year and a half ago i was with my boyfriend, we were on our way home from a movie and were just going to go home when he said "hey you want to stop at the wonton noodle place and get some soup?" i said ok..we got there, he went in, and while i was waiting i heard "meow..meow..MEOW!" i got out of the truck and there was this gorgeous tabby cat, well almost a full grown cat, still kind of young, and he was really skinny and meowing his head off and following ppl up and down the road..long story short i took him home with the intention of taking him to a shelter the next day. i promised my bf that too-we dont keep him i said..i promise ill bring him to the shelter.
that night i laid out some paper for him to go to the bathroom on, and fed him. he ate, and i went and sat on my bed and was watching tv. he came right to me, jumped in my lap, curled up, and went to sleep. at that moment i knew i wasnt bringing that cat to any shelter-he was mine now a year and a half later he's 15 pounds of pure purring snugly tabby cat love
my boo-boo kitty wonton:
i'm so tempted to post more but i'll stop now
the last one was taken when he was sleeping in my arms while i was at the puter. i was sort of holding him with one arm and typing with the other, because he didnt want to be alone. i wasnt going to push him away-i could relate.
anyways the point of this long post is that i think i'm going to go volunteer at the local shelter, maybe that'll make me feel better, if i feel like i'm doing something to help the problem...
it's nice to know i'm not the only one. i do want to volunteer, i think that would help me a lot, if i felt like i was doing something and was part of the solution. i do try to avoid hearing about it but sometimes its just unavoidable, like when i was reading that thread about SI and someone started talking about a study they did with rats, it was only a sentence or two long and i read fast, so i sort of read it before i could stop myself :/
growing up, all the animals we had when i was a kid were rescue animals, and we had numerous cats, three dogs, two bunny rabbits, chickens, ducks and geese
one time-this is kind of sad but it has a happy ending so it should be ok- my mom and i were driving and we came upon this dog that had been hit by a car. it was still alive so we looked at its tags and its owner wasnt far away so we brought it to the owner, and the guy said "leave her where you found her, i cant be bothered". i couldnt believe it and neither could my mom, but she would NEVER abandon an animal in need like that, so she took her to the vet, turns out she had a broken leg but was otherwise ok, she told the vet the story, and that we were going to keep the dog and would pay the medical bills, and the vet said oh-one other thing you might want to know-she's pregnant, and the puppies are fine a few months later she had TEN puppies
being a little kid, i was in heaven, i had sooo much fun playing with those puppies eventually she found them all good homes, and found the momma dog a good home too cuz she really only wanted to have one dog at a time. our other dog swoop we got in a similar fashion-her and my stepmonster were out driving and drove by a yard with a dog in it that wasnt being treated right. my mom stopped and said something to the owner and he was like if you give so much of a shit take the damn dog. and she did since being an adult and out on my own i've rescued three kitties-one of who'm was pregnant and had kittens. what is it about rescue animals always being pregnant :p
the kitty i have right now is a rescue kitty, his name is wonton. about a year and a half ago i was with my boyfriend, we were on our way home from a movie and were just going to go home when he said "hey you want to stop at the wonton noodle place and get some soup?" i said ok..we got there, he went in, and while i was waiting i heard "meow..meow..MEOW!" i got out of the truck and there was this gorgeous tabby cat, well almost a full grown cat, still kind of young, and he was really skinny and meowing his head off and following ppl up and down the road..long story short i took him home with the intention of taking him to a shelter the next day. i promised my bf that too-we dont keep him i said..i promise ill bring him to the shelter.
that night i laid out some paper for him to go to the bathroom on, and fed him. he ate, and i went and sat on my bed and was watching tv. he came right to me, jumped in my lap, curled up, and went to sleep. at that moment i knew i wasnt bringing that cat to any shelter-he was mine
now a year and a half later he's 15 pounds of pure purring snugly tabby cat love my boo-boo kitty wonton:
i'm so tempted to post more but i'll stop now
the last one was taken when he was sleeping in my arms while i was at the puter. i was sort of holding him with one arm and typing with the other, because he didnt want to be alone. i wasnt going to push him away-i could relate.anyways the point of this long post is that i think i'm going to go volunteer at the local shelter, maybe that'll make me feel better, if i feel like i'm doing something to help the problem...
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