How Are You Coping With Election Stress?
A poll by the American Psychiatric Association shows nearly 75% of Americans have some stress or anxiety about the upcoming election. Political ads are impossible to avoid, and experts say for many they are unhealthy. “It really flames the fire, fuels that fire of negativity…and it confirms many of people’s biases,” said Dr. Melissa Brown, a psychologist with UPMC. She said she sees the signs of elections stress firsthand.
“It absolutely can become unhealthy, especially if you already have a history of maybe anxiety or depression, or there’s certain issues or topics that are very important to you,” Brown said. She also said sees how the political divide can ruin relationships.
“We are struggling to have human to human conversations about difficult topics,” Brown said. “And we’ve forgotten how to do that…how to have decorum and respect for each other. And we’ve forgotten how to learn from each other, too, in my opinion.”
Excerpted from ABC 27
