I imagine many people are feeling a lot in relation to the FTX crisis these days. 

Feeling betrayed, angry, or disappointed are all very natural reactions to the loss of trust and a crisis of values. You might also be experiencing less specific negative states, like anxiety, irritability, loss of motivation, difficulty relaxing, or fear about the future. 

Those are all intense, often overwhelming experiences that can leave us feeling pretty unstable, doomed, or confused about who and how to trust.

A common reaction to such feelings can be disappointment with yourself or self-criticism. Like you should just get out of it, move on, get back to being productive, or just stop worrying so much. 

Thoughts like these are pretty effective at providing us with bursts of energy in times of crisis when taking big, quick actions is important and making mistakes is costly. 

But even though self-criticism might seem like an effective strategy in the short run, it has been shown to worsen mental health, anxiety disorders, our ability to form healthy relationships and inhibit progress towards goals over time. 

I care about this because a couple of years ago I started inquiring into it and asking myself what could be other, perhaps more positive ways of relating to my mistakes and discovered a range of practices rooted in self-compassion and acceptance (which are increasingly evidence-based). 

In that process, I have benefitted greatly from access to small peer support groups, with people whose values and interests overlapped with mine. I was surprised to discover how impactful even one, intentional conversation with a non-judgmental peer could be for generating more support and opening new paths forward. 

This is why I'm interested in supporting people during this crisis in a peer-to-peer capacity and sharing some of the tools that I've found useful.

If you’re interested in turning this situation into an opportunity for exploring yourself and what matters to you, here are some options for accessing support: 

• a table where you can find me and others offering free emotional support conversations 
• you can also join the Effective Peer Support Slack community and connect over shared experiences with others
• if you are in crisis and would like to find appropriate support, please see the resources listed in this EA forum post Give and Get Mental Health Support
• you can also check out the Mental Health Navigator if you'd like to start working with EA-aligned coaches and therapists 

Disclaimer: I am not a qualified therapist but I have experimented on myself with many established and emerging modalities, including CBT, Internal Family Systems, somatic processing, meditation, and self-love/self-compassion practices. I am not interested in trying to fix you or tell you what to do - I think you already have information and intuitions inside of you and I’d like to hold space and ask questions that might connect you with those more directly. And after all, this is your journey inwards and I encourage you to use your intuitions and track what makes you excited and what does not, to choose who you want to work with and in which capacity. 

Feel free to also send me an email at sasobanska@gmail.com if you're not sure if this is for you or if you'd like more information first.