Dem
47
GOP
53
Here is the question we put before readers several weeks ago:
J.B. in Radnor, PA, asks: How does one keep their sanity and avoid becoming depressed from getting so deep into all the demoralizing news in U.S. politics, and the country as a whole?
And here some more of the answers we got in response:
D.M.A. in Riverdale, NY: As a mental health professional I deal with this issue frequently.
I think it it's important to recognize what we can do and when we can do it, as well as what we cannot do.
While you might wish that Donald Trump and his cult followers would disappear in a puff of smoke that isn't about to happen.
Focus on what you can do.
Control your intake of news. You are being overloaded. And addicted. Try only one news source once a day for a week. You will actually feel withdrawal symptoms. If you can do one week you can do two. Then reintroduce a bit more news, but slowly.
Do something. One of the markers of this political depression is a feeling of helplessness. You are not helpless. Do something. Contact your elected representatives and let them know your thoughts and what you want them to do. And keep doing it. Donate to candidates. Organize your friends. Find whatever might satisfy you, whatever is right for you, but do it.
Take a longer view. This is a long-term battle, not a short skirmish. Even soldiers need periods of rest and recovery. You need to be ready for the real battles.
You will have the opportunity to vote in November. Make sure you do. And make sure you contact everyone in your social circle to do the same. Help potential voters get to the polls.
You are not helpless. Don't be hopeless. That's how the enemies of our democracy want you to think and feel. RESIST!
E.A.K. in San Francisco, CA: I will simply describe what my reaction is to life in the hellscape of Trumpistan.
It is probably the exact opposite of what a mental health professional would advise, as it involves daily immersion in the nightmarish news.
First, I read Electoral-Vote.com every single day, as avidly as a daily communicant would reach for his or her Bible and rosary before heading to 6:00 a.m. mass.
When it's published late, or, God forbid, not at all, I stamp my feet impatiently awaiting my daily dose of sanity, clear-eyed, concise reporting and analysis, and best of all, delightful wit, excerpts of which I usually share with a few close friends who are fellow fans.
I then begin my morning tour of the daily horror show of headlines on various news sites in the U.S. and overseas.
Not infrequently, I go to the World Socialist Web Site, where I ignore the obligatory Marxist cant, but enjoy the incisive factual reporting of what the right-wing extremists and fascists of America are up to.
And then there are the usual suspects on Substack, with Lucian Truscott IV being a particular favorite.
I then remove my mouth from the firehose of daily horrors inflicted upon my country and the world by the most viciously malevolent leadership in American history and, typically, write my own private e-mail newsletter to a few dozen good friends and family.
A favorite topic is the remarkable degree to which the executive branch is following the Nazi playbook, a topic about which I am better informed than most, having read a small library of books about the Third Reich and the Holocaust since childhood, visited related historical sites, and worked professionally on a legal case related to that subject.
We just completed a several week journey to several capitals of western Europe. Since I have E.U. citizenship, every step of the way we contemplated whether to take advantage of this and expatriate to escape the fascist noose-tightening around the neck of liberal Americans—$70 billion for ICE/CBP currently in the pipeline!
The phrase, "Nobody's grandparents ever regretted leaving Germany too early" kept resonating, and still does.
But we are deeply rooted here, and fortunately live in the sanity cocoon of San Francisco, where we are insulated from the worst grotesqueries of Trumpistan.
I will let readers decide whether this is a sane "coping strategy." But that's what I do...
B.C. in Phoenix, AZ: I am convinced that a major component of depression, and maybe even insanity, is powerlessness; a feeling of not being in control or of not being able to affect the outcome of events in even the most minuscule fashion.
As a retired systems engineer, with over 40 years of experience with installing, maintaining and troubleshooting information technology, there are not too many problems I cannot solve on the home computers of my friends and neighbors. My tasks can be as simple as getting their printers and Wi-Fi working, or as complicated as migrating their older Windows 10 boxes to Linux. When I am finished, they have working systems and I have the priceless feeling of success, of being in control, of making a difference.
So, my advice to everyone is to limit yourself to just reading Electoral-Vote.com every morning. Then, if you are still working, go to work and ignore all that stuff. When you are done with work, find an activity that presents problems you can solve or that produces something that gives you pleasure. It can be as simple as doing a Sudoku puzzle, or as complicated as employing your skills and talents at helping someone else. Immerse yourself, for just a little while, in that activity and you will find the nuttiness going on in the world will bother you a lot less.
I am lucky because my retirement gives me much more control over my waking hours than folks still working. The key is to not waste any waking hours going over all the bad news repeatedly during the day. Divert your attention to doing something fun, and for the best results try to include someone else in the fun.
J.B. in Bend, OR: How do I keep my sanity or avoid depression? Three ways:
- This will sound like I'm sucking up, but I use Electoral-Vote.com as my primary source of news. I do not listen to NPR (stopped during the first Trump administration because it was truly depressing and never started up again), and I don't watch the evening news (it's too shallow and too easily manipulated).
I lean on Electoral-Vote.com because it highlights the important stories and provides useful insights and opinions. It doesn't adhere to the journalist code "if it bleeds, it leads," and (V) and (Z) are very careful not to act like it's hair is on fire.- I don't talk about politics very much—briefly with my wife and friends just to vent a little, but usually ending with a Forrest Gump voice "that's all I want to say about that."
- Finally, I remind myself that things always seem bleakest when you are in the middle of them, but the arc of history, IMO, is positive and steadily improves despite setbacks. The world will get past the next 2 years and 7 months. Keep calm, and carry on.
L.K. in San Carlos, CA: I confine my reading of political news to the morning, with Electoral-Vote.com, Talking Points Memo and Wonkette for extra snark and the GIFs. Also, Fix the News, which is a wonderful antidote to the daily crushing bad news. Then no more for the rest of the day. Certainly not before bedtime!
R.V. in Pittsburgh, PA: Since the start of Trump 2.0, I've tuned out all TV news and shows like Meet the Press. I simply cannot stand seeing Trump in any way or form or even hearing his name.
In place of TV news and political shows, I've binged watch some old TV shows. I really enjoyed Petticoat Junction and watching episodes of Miami Vice I haven't seen in many years.
(I tried to watch Lost in Space but the Dr. Smith character was so over the top annoying, I couldn't make it past a couple episodes). I may try The Invaders next.
J.E. in San Jose, CA: I know what I have control over, and I know what I don't. After years of therapy, I no longer feel compelled to waste my time being concerned with things whose outcome I have no influence over. Except when I'm driving.
D.E. in San Diego, CA: My personal strategy is to remind myself that nothing is permanent, that everything changes. Sometimes they change for the better and sometimes for the worse. I thought Reagan/Bush 1 were the end of the U.S. but then we had Clinton. I thought Bush Jr. was the end of the U.S. but then we had Obama. I thought Trump was then end of the U.S. but then we had Biden.
So for those who feel depressed about Trump v2.0, just remember: This too shall pass.
R.T. in Arlington, TX: "and yet, we were OK afterward..."
I decided a little while back that I could not live in a constant state of gloom when the Trump crap cannon flows constantly. So as an act of faith and a conscious decision, I choose internal peace. That isn't quite the same as hope or optimism, but it works for now. I started forming the rational basis for that peace during the COVID pandemic. I thought back on all of the bad things that had happened in the world in my lifetime "and yet, we were OK afterward..." in the sense that while there were losses, life stayed normal or quickly returned to normal. Apologies for the length, but here are some of my lists:
WARS: 1979 Iran, 1983 Grenada, 1986 and 2011 Libya, 1989 Panama, 1990 Kuwait, 1992 Bosnia, 1993 and 2007 Somalia, 2001 Afghanistan, 2003 Iraq, 2014 ISIS/Syria, 2014 Crimea Invasion, 2015 and 2023 Yemen, 2022 Ukraine, 2024 Gaza, and 2025 Venezuela.
PANDEMICS: 1980 AIDS, 1976 and 2009 Swine Flu, 2002 SARS, 2012 MERS, 2013 Ebola, 2015 Zika, 2020 COVID, and 2023 Monkey Pox.
FINANCIAL CRISES: 1979 Oil Embargo, 1980s Recession, 1982 S&L Collapse, 1987 Market Crash, 1999 Y2K Anxiety, 2000 Dot Com Crash, 2008 Great Recession, 2020 Covid Lockdown
CIVIL UNREST: 1992 Rodney King, 1993 Branch Davidians, 1999 Anti-Globalization, 2011 Occupy Movement, 2014 Ferguson, 2015 Freddie Gray, 2016 Bundy Occupation, 2017 Charlottesville, 2020 George Floyd, and 2021 1/6 Capitol
My point is that we have come through a phenomenal amount of bad things already "and yet, we were OK afterward..." What is going on right now seems like the beginning of catastrophe, but our experience shows the worst case scenario never manifests. It's OK to want to change the current course and we shouldn't give up, but the sun will still come up tomorrow and we will live on.
C.B. in Lakeville, MN: When Donald Trump was elected the second time, my wife was understandably scared and despondent. I was, too. She asked, perhaps metaphorically, "What do we do now?" I had no idea, but after a moment of thought, these words came out of my mouth: Make your little corner of the world the best it can be.
Focusing on our nonwork activities that bring us happiness and joy has lessened the impact of current events and, at times, given us some (at least) short-term joy. My wife's thing is music: She is very active in five community bands with eight woodwind instruments. She puts a lot of work into not only improving herself, but being able to bring her love of music to other music lovers. I also find pleasure in playing trombone and doing PA announcing for high school and college games, both of which bring some joy fun to others (I hope), too.
We both know the real world is waiting out there for us when we're done with our things. We know we're incredibly lucky to not have been directly affected by recent events, especially here in the Twin Cities earlier this year. But for an hour or two, we can bring a small respite from that and maybe bring some happiness for not only ourselves, but others, too.
D.C.W. in Fredericksburg, TX: I know your very smart and insightful readers will have some wonderful suggestions for keeping up with the news and yet easing the mind some. I have my own secret weapon for that. With loving respect for the late Flash and Otto, my answer is: doggie love.
I will do a serious Sudoku puzzle and have a cup of tea after reading the news, sitting in a wide recliner with three wiener dogs who all want my attention. I work out faithfully in my garage gym before lunch, with those same doggies getting treats and "working out" nearby on their cushy pallet in the garage. And evenings, before sundown, time is allotted for serious ball play with the "kids." Two of the dogs are major league players, and we play in the "Dodger Stadium" area of the yard. The third dog is the "umpire" and stays at home plate with me. The play is interspersed with bursts of chasing each other around the "bases" and, of course, their barking at squirrels or chasing the occasional rabbit off the field.
Thankfully, I cannot escape from my daily doggie "duties": feeding, doctoring, entertaining, giving and receiving unconditional love. Their devotion and daily antics mitigate what is wrong in the world for me. And the fact that they are all "rescues" and now are living their best lives at our little sanctuary is personally comforting.
I also recommend a good mental health counselor and single-serving organic wines from Wander + Ivy...
J.O. in Brookline, MA: Bourbon.
C.H. in Sacramento, CA: Sports on TV and live music in the area.
J.A. in Walla Walla, WA: To put humans' place on this planet into perspective, I often think of and occasionally visit central Oregon's John Day Fossil Beds. In one particular unit of the monument, Sheep Rock, I think, one can trace a vertical line of around 50 million years through plant and animal evolution. Recorded into the rock formations are the rise, dominance and decline, sometimes sudden, of many different species. Humans, I surmise, will one day become etched into this trajectory. I do wonder, though, who or what might be around to notice! Anyway, that observation tempers my mundane preoccupations and helps me to focus on that which is most important to me right here and right now: empathy, love, and an effort to reduce human suffering while attempting to protect the environment which sustains us, at least for now.
J.R. in Berlin, CA: Flee the country.
Quoth Max Detweiler in The Sound of Music: "What's going to happen's going to happen. Just make sure it doesn't happen to you."
L.C. in Brookline, MA:
J.B. in Radnor asked: "How does one keep their sanity and avoid becoming depressed from getting so deep into all the demoralizing news in U.S. politics, and the country as a whole?"
I don't. In a world of lies, what does it even mean to be sane?
We're going to keep this going for one more week. There's still time to submit answers to comments@electoral-vote.com, preferably with subject line "Mental Dis-ease"!