Many of my patients are reporting an increase in the symptoms of anxiety as election day nears. In the "old, old days" entire towns would have to gather around the town crier to hear the news about who had been elected...sometimes getting the word only days or even weeks after the elections had been held.
These days its more likely you're simultaneously listening to the television and scanning the dozens of major blog sites focusing on the election, frantically trying to predict what your favorite candidate's electoral college tally is based on the latest polling results from MSNBC.
While the outcome of this election is certainly important, some folks just don't know when to stop and begin to develop symptoms of what could be called "election hysteria". If you notice yourself checking the news or blogs first thing in the morning and last thing before you go to sleep, increased restlessness, lack of appetite or increased junk food binges, decreased patience, increased frustration, and a tendency to move all conversations into a discussion about the election, you may be letting this get out of hand.
To better cope with all of this uncertainty try limiting yourself to only a few websites visits or a few minutes a day of listening to the news. Get outside and enjoy a walk in the woods or go to a movie. Make an effort not to talk about the election. Just exercise a little personal discipline and focus on something else.
Extreme anxiety about the outcome of an election is similar to any other type of anxiety in that it often involves a belief that the world is a dangerous place and you lack the resources to cope. The best way to cope is usually by replacing impotent worry with action. Don't be just a passive observer of the political scene, get involved in local political or community organizations and turn concern into action.
After all, no matter how the election turns out, someone is likely to be disappointed and getting and staying active in something you believe in is also a great way to help protect against the next thing that often happens to people after an election is over...the post-election blues, even if your candidate is the winner. Healthy living! Dr. B.
