Anxiety Around Politics, Bad News, and the Election - W/Lindsy Cabrera, LMHC

[@TherapyinaNutshell]

Improve your mental health with the free course, courses.therapyinanutshell.com/grounding-skills-for-anxiety-stress-and-ptsd

[@desertBruja]

The state of the world has impacted my mental and physical health deeply. So much grief, rage, hopelessness and overwhelm

[@redflag0477]

The world really is better in a lot of ways than ever before and I am usually pretty happy to be in US in this time period. When I am able to quiet my stress and anxiety I can honestly be immensely grateful, also KZbin means I also get better access to youtubers like Therapy in a Nutshell who can really give helpful advice in a timely fashion. Thanks for the stream Emma and Lindsey!

[@kates6793]

I’ve never experienced such anxiety around politics before. There’s so much hate. Sad because we all want the same thing for ourselves and our families.

[@1984knockingatyourdoor]

No we don't.

[@cammichristensen6705]

I think the most important thing to remember, for people who feel resentful or hostile towards people with different opinions and stances, is that everyone is trying to do what they believe to be good and right based on their limited knowledge (which we all have, no one knows everything). This can help increase compassion for people who think different than you.

[@mistyviolet3825]

The candidate for whom I voted 🗳️ for did as a matter of fact & TRUTH, did indeed WON BY A LANDSLIDE!!!!!!! THANKS 🙏🏻 BE TO GOD!❤❤❤❤ ALLELUIA 🎉 ALLELUIA 🎉

[@nopetynopeimonaboat]

As a LGBT person, the news around this election has been really disheartening and scary. I find myself in a cycle of the news being damaging to my mental health, but being unable to look away due to fear. I’ve been watching your channel for a while to help cope with my PTSD (in tandem with therapy). Your videos and advice has been priceless, and I’m so thankful for a video like this to come out when so many needed it most. Thank you so much!

[@flouserschird]

As a straight person, the news is also disheartening and scary to me.

[@nopetynopeimonaboat]

@@flouserschird I’m sorry you’ve been dealing with those feelings as well. Wishing you the best :))

[@margrose5]

@@nopetynopeimonaboat I’m sorry you feel that way. If it’s any consolation, most of what you are hearing that is making you disheartened and scared, is based on rhetoric which is completely false. Please believe me when I say this. Whatever you’re listening to is not serving you with truth and kindness. You may discover that by doing your own research. I wish you peace.

[@nopetynopeimonaboat]

@@margrose5 It’s definitely more about individual people than the news, if that makes sense. I like to think most people are kind, good-natured, and have the capacity to live harmoniously with others. Sometimes the news (sensational and all) can bring out the worst in those who have it in them to do horrible things (to innocent people). I’ve already had a life filled with awful things, and all it takes is that one person, to change everything-for myself and others. I hope that clears things up, and thank you for the kind wishes.

[@LivingWithCognitiveDissonance]

The election news cycle Never Ends in the USA. It's a multi-billion dollar industry that must maintain our attention to survive. Its entire purpose is to keep people as emotionally involved as possible for as long as possible. Our individual and community mental health focus has to take these financial and psychological considerations into account.

[@silvershadow013]

For the first time in my almost 70 years the news, especially the election (electile dysfunction) has affected my anxiety. I literally can't stand the media and the new cult that has arisen over the last few years. I am honestly scared half to death about the possible results of this election. The divisiveness in this country is nuts. Covid only added to the mess. I've never seen such a craziness on such a large scale. I have finally decided to forego ALL the news because I can no longer deal with all the BS.

[@Robnord1]

Same viewpoints and same age. We have labeled TV as the 'vomit tube' with all the nonsense and propaganda it emits 24/7, and now use the TV as just a monitor for the PC I'm using at this moment. We only turn on TV when we're leaving home as a burglar deterrent. Online, we've unsubbed from all media, even the ones we mostly agree with. If something really vital to know happens, our channels we do watch (and do not usually fear monger) will give us the vitals. We have to insulate ourselves somewhat. It wasn't this bad even in the 'Nam era.

[@mcheloous]

Gotta love the electile dysfunction pun. 😂 Anyway, 100% agree with what you said, the polarity and the divisiveness around the world is really scary... Sadly, the media perpetrates this mess, instead of throwing some light around it.

[@mrp4869]

I haven't voted in the past 40 years. But I too am afraid for our country. I can't believe a convicted felon can run for president. There are so many jobs that would not hire a felon. But a felon can president. Crazy!

[@mbg3871]

Such a needed topic. I’ve never been political and now it’s almost impossible to avoid. With friends, family, my HUSBAND…it’s overwhelming. It helps to know I’m not the only one that feels this way.

[@PhilosophyMeetsPsychology]

Anxiety during covid was debilitating for me. I was stuck in bed literally, running temperature like I had malaria and couldn't silence my racing thoughts but it turned out great because it pushed me to finally get the help that I needed and fast forward 4 years, I have bagged two more degree and couldn't be more grateful so sharing my gifts with the world one upload at a time.

[@LynnMile22]

Thanks for this, I've recently found myself going down the rabbit hole(s) of drama and chaos gossip - and that's what I feel like politics are these days. I wrote in my journal to STOP it! Thanks for the affirmation of something I've known for decades but every election cycle for some reason I forget!

[@brendacollinsdeeks7268]

I’m Canadian but the American political news is causing me huge anxiety. Our country is not a violent as the US so we’re used to feeling fairly secure but what’s happening in the US is bleeding over the border now and starting to make us all feel unsafe. I can’t imagine how the American get through their ordinary days. I don’t even travel to the US anymore.

[@d.earth.angell]

THANK YOU for this❤

[@sandraferrell4687]

So very timely. I am struggling with this big-time. I grew up in an era when people could have different opinions but it didn't necessarily make them "stupid" or "wrong" or "bad." (And trust me, for those of you who only rely on one news source, this is happening on *both* sides). People are losing friends and family members because of this black & white thinking and the refusal to consider other viewpoints and experiences. Are there any support groups out there for dealing with the "othering", the misinformation out there that spreads and normalizes this 'us vs. them mentality,' and the dangerous rhetoric that only serves to further ignite hatred and polarization? I see this only getting worse in the days ahead, and wonder how many of us are experiencing some form of low level, chronic anxiety or even PTSD around it. (PS--more videos on this topic, please!)

[@Carlee923]

What great tips and great conversation during an important time in the US ❤🎉

[@tracymarks8935]

I love having a good conversation on these topics. But I also find this is just not an option anymore

[@wynniethepooh6834]

So true

[@pdunlevy499]

My panic and anxiety are so bad because of election time..I feel like I won't make it 😢 there is no way to talk politics with anyone other than my husband, it's too hateful out there. I try to choose kindness no matter what.

[@EmanDeMoan]

Please hang in there ❤ and don't forget that we're tiny specs in a huge universe, and life goes on even after terrible things happen. I mean, we survived 2020 right?

[@pdunlevy499]

@@EmanDeMoan yes that's true, thank you! ❤️

[@TPaine76]

@@EmanDeMoan I don’t think 2020 is comparable. There were good individuals in the administration to temper the worst instincts of the President. There were guardrails and checks and balances. I don’t know how much if that will be true in 2024. That said, I don’t think we should either despair or bury our heads in the sand. We should take whatever action we can to make this the kind of country we want to live in.

[@TPaine76]

@@pdunlevy499 I’m sorry you feel this way. I have no idea who you are planning to vote for and in this case, I don’t care. Regardless of who we support in the election, we’re all still people. It’s a tragedy when any person feels too scared to speak with their neighbors. If talking about politics is important to you, maybe consider joining a group like Braver Angels - a community that has workshops and training sessions on how to speak to people about controversial subjects. They are a bipartisan organization and host meetings where you can hear opinions from both sides of aisle in a safe and moderated space. Wishing you the best! I really do think we’ll be OK because I believe that most people are good and I have faith in America.

[@joeinterrante7873]

The news has made me frustrated and worried. Its my own fault. My IBS has kicked in too. Ugh

[@Robnord1]

After suffering for over 10 yrs with IBS myself ( to the extreme), I found a book called _Help For IBS_ by Heather VanVorus. Using the methods in it, I managed to self diagnose, find my triggers, and escape the daily misery. I did what 5 doctors could not using that book. I *highly* recommend it. I've been well 15 yrs now.

[@teresaninkovich7607]

Anxiety is much worse I try not to watch but I always watch the news videos and it's making Anxiety worse & my blood sugar high 😞

[@ingelaeiberg4580]

I loved this session ❤️ It was so helpful. Thank you both ❤️

[@michaelpells1440]

Thanks for the insightful conversation and practical tips for navigating this media-saturated election season. You didn’t mention much about social media, which is another potential stressor. But a lot of the advice you both gave - limiting time, choosing the right outlet for you, etc. - applies to social media as well.

[@chocojavachip]

Yes, we need to allow people to have different opinions without hating the person.

[@Rqs79]

I think one of the reasons my anxiety has been triggered is because most of our news is negative and we're constantly being inundated with it 24-7. That's not including the ugly political stuff. I didn't have anxiety and stress over a political election until the last few years. What I've done is try my best to read or watch a news source that is as neutral as possible or look for positive news stories because I refuse to believe most of the world we see is negative.

[@genielhowe260]

There is such strong opposition to politics

[@chocojavachip]

27:23 What is the name of the book, please?

[@mariaangelova8275]

I catch the summaries of things on the following day. I don't want to be submerged into politics in real time. And I follow credible sources that I trust from left-leaning, central, and right-leaning, aggregated by Ground News.

[@EricB8487]

Your videos are going to get me through today.. having bad mental health

[@hardenedsap]

Independent journalists are the way to go whichever side. Anyone else is saying whatever they are saying for a price and not due to personal convictions. Tolerance is only a thing you can demand of yourself. You can't actually install character into others or make demand of it. Just doesn't work that way.

[@63Lsp]

I hear you about agreeing to disagree and being judgmental. But I'm not interested in finding a middle or common ground when it comes to basic human rights and compassion for folks with less privilege. That's what has been exposed these past election cycles. If those basic discussions don't end well, I find I'm no longer interested in doing other fun-related things even if we're old friends. That, In a Nutshell, is what has polarized many of us 💙

[@Mavmode]

Same. If we don’t agree on basic human rights and dignity, I don’t make room for them in my life anymore.

[@emilyhartman8255]

Biggest problem I have is that it used to be impolite to unsolicitedly share your political opinions with anyone but close friends. Now people blurt out their arrogant opinions to anyone - the anxiety I feel is when it’s in my workplace. This wouldn’t be such a problem if people went back to common courtesy and manners and kept their unasked for opinions to themselves.

[@hardenedsap]

It actually wouldn't happen if we learned to hear things we don't like or agree with and thoughfully consider them and then move on. It's not actually necessary to shut down every thought that isn't in agreement with your ideology.

[@allisonwilson5979]

This was helpful and timely

[@Splendid123456789]

Great video, thank you so much for this! I know that marketing departments, news media, etc., all use powerful mental health techniques, like NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming) and others, to keep fear cycles high, so that one feels like they 'need' that source or something will happen to them. It would be interesting to hear from you both on how to recognize when someone is using one of these techniques for no good, identify it and unwind it if possible-? Thanks again!

[@janagee3950]

I usually enjoy living in a bubble and not caring about politics but war in Middle East is affecting my demographics. I limit the amount of news. I feel a need to empower myself and write to my congressmen. I decided I have no control over these events. I need to try to feel peace within to create peace in the world. The biggest stress is family thinking differently and not allowing the ability to agree to disagree.

[@silvershadow013]

I don't feel safer now than I did decades ago. We used to never lock our houses. Would you do that now? What about "stranger danger"? School shootings? I don't seem to have worried about any of that in the past.

[@Mjr._Kong]

5:12 Telegraph is at least 125 years old -- but understand your point.

[@ZquntrpYlapcoe]

Two ladies are too much intelligent, cute and charming

[@freddyray629]

If you look around in the world all the merciless suffering pain and misery applies to most of the people, the realistic feeling is anxiety and depression. But you should ask do you help them with anxiety and depression? Can I be compassionate towards myself too? (Hint: the word is yes. You can). Be kind to people near to you, be strong be free. That's enough. You are just a natural being , you aren't meant to hold the weight of the world on your shoulders.

[@Robnord1]

I get it that both you young ladies are saying calm down and agree to disagree, but here's the opinion of an old man; Even since the 60s, there has not been such a deep political divide in the US. The sides have disagreements on the foundational level...the kind like in divorce situations where it's crystal clear it's time to go. It's going to come to blows, possibly soon.

[@redflag0477]

Sure both sides have disagreements, but we also have similarities between parties. The deep political divide has always existed in the U.S but in the 60's it wasn't something that was shared 24/7. Social Media and the popularity of the news have caused an increasing awareness of our differences and not our similarities, fanning the flames. Also, there have always been fundamental differences between parties, Republicans often want more state power vs Democrats usually say the federal government should have more power. This has been there since the beginning. What they are saying is not just to "agree to disagree" and calm down it's saying that we are a democracy and that we need to think critically and view multiple perspectives, we can work together as a society like she said join a food pantry to work with those you disagree with. Disagreements are common in politics they have always existed especially in the 60's. Segregation in the United States wasn't ended till 1964, Vietnam War caused huge political outrage, Heck gay marriage wasn't fully given constitutional rights until 2015 technically and fully removed loopholes. We are in the best time so far in the world, we have better technology than ever, better health than ever, and crime is steadily going down. The only problem we are currently facing is a lack of respect for others, an overdependence on media, and a constant need to express our views. There are truly a lot of things to be grateful for in our world but we are very focused on the negatives and the bad. I don't hate Republicans or Democrats, I love and treat everyone with respect, people of different beliefs can work together. I hope you have a nice day, I just wanted to provide some reassurance to you that while it seems we are more divided than ever, we are really just more vocal than ever due to media. They both talk about the goods near the end of the video.

[@Robnord1]

@@redflag0477 You're sure correct about the media and online thing. One can argue with anyone on the planet 24-7. I believe it will come to blows though. I personally know several individuals that if you uttered the phrase "We are a democracy" to them in person, the resulting argument could end with bloodshed if you were in an environment where they could get away with it. At the very least it would start a shouting match with name calling. In the 60s the worst conflicts I saw were anti-war protesters. They only got violent with the police in general.

[@elspethfougere9683]

Interesting point about choosing which news outlets to watch or read, by what level of hype or drama or presentation tone they bring for the information sharing. Its so important to be informed... in a way that causes the least stress possible. I want to see the facts, without as much hype or interpretation. I think its healthy to watch neutral news, thats doing the old achool style of just facts, and truly balanced representation by interviewing a variety of people from different angles, on the same subject, so it encourages ones own thinking. Or talking about an issue, against a standardised level of ethics rather than flexible opinions I definitely think using a chart for accuracy of reporting, is important.. choosing stations and chanels that have high enthical standards, and are measured to be good with accurate reporting. There are dirty dealings now, with those reporting chanels, whove sometimes knowing published falsified news, and thats poor standards. I dont think anyone needs to be messed with like that. Its over the line for me.

[@kevinspano7315]

I am debilitated with anxiety. I spend most of my time in bed 😞

[@clovisrogers2685]

The news really makes me angry, so I don’t watch it at all.

[@IamHumanWoman]

The news makes me cry. I did when I was 5 and I do now at 46. I avoid it, otherwise the injustices I see affect my heart.

[@Molly_1123]

I miss the days when my parents would choose from one of 3 or 4 channels, watch 30 minutes of local, 30 minutes of national in the evening while dinner was cooking. I believe they would skim through the local paper daily in the morning, so maybe that’s another 15-30 minutes, so 90 minutes max daily from calm-ish sources. They maybe took in a bit more on the weekends with Newsweek magazine or a national newspaper. I am much less informed. I stopped watching local news when it became the local crime report. I had no idea about what my council was doing, but I sure knew who had been shot, robbed, or died that die. Yuck. I stopped watching 24/7 national news during crises. If reporting shifts from facts into commentary and speculation, I turn it off.

[@scottyigar9009]

The problem really started when s social media gave what should b a personal and social talks between eachother in small groups became a larger more broad audience. Not only should peoples believes b mostly to themselves became a group formation belief system. That will of course by effect become divisive. So what i do is really or completely limit your social media consumption!! And know the truth about it its no different then a drug

[@christinebartholomew5180]

My husband and my son forbid me to watch any regular news programs. Period, and full stop. They are right, I can't deal with the lack of humanity in humanity now days. I'm so for getting taken over by AI, and live in complete ignorance. I have just taken my stuff about the news I like example local life, that goofy weather man, stuff like that. I nearly always watch it after it's done so I can fast forward thur the crap I don't want to know. But my KZbin gives me notifications about the stuff I really want to know about. I'm a happy nerd. Geology, volcanoes, and climate technology are moving so fast. Archeology, the great hunt for Atlantis, mapping the ocean floors finally. That's the news they aren't showing. Why? I can watch soldiers meeting their babies all day long. This year I found a lady with a sheep farm. I found her a few weeks before birthing was due. For like 2 weeks I watched nearly 200 or so lambs being born. All the while the song from Disney from the short "Lambert the Sheepish Lion", running through my head. It was definitely a learning experience. Well that is enough rambling for me.

[@indy500tabasco8]

👽👽👽👽child support causes lots of anxiety👽👽👽👽

[@chocojavachip]

Shame on our political candidates for saying such alarming rhetoric on both sides of the aisle! They are like the “parents” of the country (“kids”) and are talking in a way that is scaring everyone. The country’s anxiety is high this election season.

[@penelopebranson3621]

Now I know why I was taught to never talk about politics or religion.

[@kristinajohansson1351]

The KZbin algorithm makes me anxious! The only reason I haven't deleted KZbin is because I don't want to lose channels like about mental and physical health, like this one. 😊

[@chocojavachip]

You can click on the 3 little dots on videos you don’t want to see and click on “not interested” and it will change your feed videos/algorithm.

[@PearsonLester-m5q]

Wilson Donna Martinez Steven Moore Frank

[@SqueakyPeeps]

I am so triggered by tRUmp because I was raised by a malignant narcissist just like him. I want nothing more than to see him held accountable for the crimes he's committed, because my narc parent died a free man. Granted, he was alone and no one came to see him on his deathbed. His worst fear actually came true.

[@sherylbeamer7189]

These kind of comments are what we’re trying to avoid in this honest discussion. Respect is what we’re ALL asking for.

[@elspethfougere9683]

​@@sherylbeamer7189 i think it's ok for a person to raise the point that a politician reminds them of their abusive parent. That's actually quite common as a mental health issue, a fear of authority, or watching how people in authority use their power, and what standards of integrity they hold. How they use their power over others. It's also ok to talk about this around court proceedings. It's possible to have this conversation abstractly, about looking after our mental health, what we have in common as humans who get stressed, while holding your own political leanings.

[@ConnieBrown-gu6bb]

@@sherylbeamer7189I agree. None of us truly know either candidate. We only hear propaganda from both sides.

[@Mavmode]

Same. I was raised by two narcissists. It’s devastating and triggering to watch.

[@dizanelli]

If MSNBC commented on KZbin it would sound as stupid as this comment. These fools that think they can diagnose narcissism. 🙄

[@beckiemcnamara9565]

I don't watch the news at all

[@1984knockingatyourdoor]

Ignorance is bliss I guess