I suffer from anxiety also, but I will try to help you relax a little with some facts. ISIS only has about 40,000 fighters so they're spread pretty
thin. Of all military/ defense spending in the world , the US spends 49%
of that money. That means we spend almost as much as every other
country in the world combined. No way ISIS can win . It's just a matter
of time and attrition.

Ebola is extremely difficult to catch. It is only transmitted through bodily fluids. You could sit right beside someone who has it and not become infected. If you consider the number of traffic fatalities each year, you're more likely to die driving to the airport than sitting on an airplane with someone who is infected.

I love the saying, "If you feel small and powerless and unable to make a difference, remember the mosquito."

Also, this one: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead.

We can feel small and powerless in the face of such scary things but if we think globally and act locally we can be a tremendous force for good.

Our media is geared toward fear mongering. It's how they keep their ratings and "clicks" up. The best thing to do is try to tune out as much as possible. look at the news for 30 minutes a day or less and the rest of the time, just go about your life. If cable news sends you into a panic, just read the news digitally or, better yet, in print! It will keep you informed but will have less urgency. If you are constantly looking at your phone, perhaps it's time to uninstall your news apps or at least change the settings so you don't get constant notifications.

It's important to remember that anxiety is your problem right now, not these two current events. The number of Americans who have died so far of these causes is less than you can count on your hands. Compare that to hundreds of thousands of americans who die of heart disease every year. That's not to give you something else to worry about, but to put things into perspective.

I think if you're really worried about Ebola, staying out of hospitals and airports is a good precaution. Or, as GB suggests, wearing a mask when you go into hospitals or airports.

That's about as extreme as you need to get at this point.

In order to get Ebola, you would need to be in direct contact with someone who is showing the rather obvious symptoms of the disease.

There are great educational videos on Ebola if it doesn't freak you out too much to watch them. There are also, of course, alarmist videos and you can tell which they are because the alarmist ones are trying to sell an idea or promote a political position.

I agree that Ebola could become the new AIDS. But to keep things in perspective, 30,000 die from plain old FLU every year, despite the vaccine.

As for HAND SANITIZER, it is only effective against BACTERIA. It does nothing to combat viruses. Flu, Enterovirus, and Ebola are all viruses, as is AIDS. Wash hands frequently with SOAP AND WATER. Please do not rely on hand sanitizer alone!

As for terrorism, my anxiety levels are far higher than before 9/11. After that, I didn't feel safe in my own country anymore, and became suspicious of anyone in a burka or turban!

Regarding how we catch AIDS and EBOLA, they insist it's "hard to catch" and requires personal contact with an infected person's bodily fluids. With AIDS, that's usually sex or infected blood. But with EBOLA, ;they are saying it's transmitted through SALIVA. We better be damn careful who we kiss, let alone have sexual relations with!

There's no answer to our anxiety except our faith and common sense precautions.

It is difficult not to worry about ISIS. My Mom lived through WW2 and I cannot stop thinking it seems very much like it. Time will tell. As to ebola, no I am not afraid. I worked as a personal support worker for along time. Avoiding this disease is actually easier than the flu because it is spread through bodily fluids and not the air. Just make sure you wash yours hands properly and often and avoid touching your face and you should be fine. Not only that but scientists are working harder to find the vaccine which is very close at hand. I am so glad you brought it up ! Take Care!

I think we all have your same anxiety and the more i watch the news, read the headlines and articles on the net the more i get upset and anxiety rears its ugly head. I have stopped reading so much and not watching the news so much because it tends to saturate my mind with the thoughts of getting sick and what if's! Know you are not alone but maybe like me try not watching it so much. I am trying to read happy upbeat articles or local news and Ahhhh that is full fun stuff :)