Since the Presidential election of 2016 - even prior to it - there has been a spike in the number of patients who are reporting experiences of anxiety, powerlessness, restlessness, fear, difficulty sleeping, and being more scattered and disoriented than they previously have known themselves to be. This is particularly jarring when their sense of self is shattered and they are exhibiting symptoms that have not materialized before in their adulthood. Still more concerning is when, given the changes in health insurance in recent years, patients can no longer afford their deductibles and therefore opt to discontinue treatment at a time when they might most need to be coming in.
Not long ago I attended a seminar in which the speaker addressed how in ways not previously seen to this extent or magnitude, people seem to be responding to a collective trauma brought on by our current political climate. Clinicians, in addition to our patients, are struggling to manage their own levels of anxiety and powerlessness. Many of the people in our country show a complete dismissal or disinterest in facts, choosing instead the ease of not having to think for themselves and diminishing their personal fears by taking comfort in entrusting those in authority who are disseminating lies and "fake news." On a national (if not global) level, this is incredibly terrifying. Many of us are reeling from the continual onslaught of political egregiousness. This constant bombardment of one horrific incident after another is a form of trauma and the very thing that can disrupt us to such an extent that we are left in the position of having to always be in a reactionary stance, having to brace ourselves for further trauma.
For people who have a history of trauma in their childhood and adolescence, the current political landscape is all the more fraught. It is like walking through a landmine that presents us with ongoing triggers which reawaken those early traumas which may be deeply entrenched. One might react internally in much the way they did when they were young, defenseless children.
I encourage patients to limit their exposure to the news if it is interfering with their ability to function. Given that it may be crucial to have a safe relationship such as the one that can develop in a therapeutic relationship, I think it is important to work together to figure out how people can continue coming in if their insurance is the barrier that is preventing them from seeking the help they require. Having a support system and appropriate self-care is of the utmost importance for both patients and clinicians during this highly chaotic time.