By james art LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – A Lubbock therapist says more people are expressing their anxiety about this election season. Since emotions can run high, she offers some tips to help you keep the peace between the parties.
From national rallies to state debates and local races, elections are increasingly taking up more space in people’s minds and in their conversations. Maddie Bishop, a senior therapist at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Counseling Center, says people believe there is more at stake this election season.
“People have become more vocal about who they’re voting for and we’re definitely at odds with each other, so we’re butting heads more,” she said. “A lot of times, if that’s the only thing we talk about, then people are kind enough to make it more than the only thing they’re focusing on.”
She says having these conversations over and over again can become exhausting for people. Over the past year and a half, more clients have been bringing up the issue of the election at her office, and it’s only increased as the big day approaches.
“A lot of times our politics are tied to our values, so when we feel like our values are threatened, our anxiety will increase, our defensiveness will increase,” Bishop said.
While it’s important to be an informed voter, she says too much information can be overwhelming.
“Social media, we’re inundated with political stuff right now. Even the smallest forms of social media talk about it. Everyone is talking about it,” she said. “So it’s just recognition, do I spend a lot of my time focusing on that, or do I do other things?”
Stress can manifest itself in the body, for example through poor sleep or feelings of anxiety when people see a political ad on TV. Bishop advises people to balance screen time with self-care, such as going outside, having hobbies or exercising.
People can also cope by spending time with friends and family, but if the conversation turns to politics and gets too intense, Bishop says it’s important to set boundaries.
“It’s okay to say, ‘I care too much about our relationship to keep talking about it, so I’m not going to talk about it.’ Or, ‘I’m going to get out of the situation.’ You have to tell the person you’re going to do it, you can’t just get up and do it,” she said. “If I state why I’m doing it, that means I’m enforcing the boundary and letting them know about the boundary.”
If the situation becomes more personal and distressing, seeing a counselor can help. Ultimately, Bishop says, people can only control their own thoughts, feelings and actions.
“We have no control over what anyone else does. Again, we can only do what is within our circle,” she said.
Although Nov. 5 will be a long day, Bishop wants people to remember the things that bring them together.
“My vote is just as important as anybody else’s vote, and their vote is just as important as mine, and we have to remember again that we all have values and we all have value,” Bishop said.
Bishop says using a sliding scale can help, with one or two being things people can’t control, like bumper stickers or yard signs, three being relationships where people need to set boundaries, and four or five are more worrisome problems that may require professional help.
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