I don't have a solution, just an observation. I think your mention of the word "overwhelming" is very important. If there is a solution, I think it will be found in non-destructive (not drugs, not sleeping all day, etc.) changes in lifestyle, values, and focus--things that vary a lot from person to person and probably require experimentation--that prove effective at reducing the emotional feeling of being overwhelmed.

Also, it seems that "overwhelm" is what happens when we combine several bad things that don't have to be combined (various fears, various regrets, disappointments, etc.) into a single, nasty package viewed all at once. Finding a way to focus on them separately really reduces the magnitude of the overwhelm.