Another Trump presidency could cause widespread apathy and despair

I learned a new phrase today courtesy of a fantastic article by Jennifer Senior in the Atlantic. And it helped me to finally put a finger on what in the world is going on with my and possibly your mind and body these past few years. Allostatic overload, it refers to a state of just chronic stress and ongoing fight or flight response that simply put humans are just not built to endure without becoming ill in one way or another from substance abuse, ulcers, diabetes, cardiovascular disease Immunodeficiencies.

In evolutionary terms, imagine, you know, imagine you saw a bear, and your adrenaline spiked and gave you the means to run away faster. That’s great. That’s what our stress response is there for. But these past few years have been

just too much economic fears, quarantine various global crises and our front row seats to all of it, thanks to the 24/7 news cycle. I feel the effects in my body. You might too.

I remember feeling very acutely for years, that if I didn’t wake up and instantly go check the news cycle, the first thing in the morning, everything would fall apart. It’s the type of Magical Thinking this hyper vigilance and it’s something that many Americans can relate to. A University of Nebraska study found that approximately 40% of adults consider the political sphere to be a source of significant stress. And 5% have record ever reported, having had suicidal thoughts relating to the political realm.

And now Trump might get elected again, he really might. I don’t even want to say it out loud. But we simply cannot run the risk of sticking our heads in the sand. Now, it is absolutely possible that we will endure another four years of a person who presents a danger to this country that frankly defies description. We don’t know what he’ll do. And I don’t think I’m being alarmist when I say that.

We don’t know what more of this will do to us simply from a stress perspective.

You know how much I love the fact that I don’t think about Joe Biden all that often.

So much so much.

At this point, I’ve almost forgotten what it feels like to wake up every morning to discover that the malignant narcissist in the White House has done yet another previously unthinkable thing.

And yet, here we are again.

You know, during Trump’s first presidency, I protested all the time. I don’t protest often anymore. Because the volume of crises protests about feels too great.

I think what worries me most isn’t even the impact of the stress. It’s what happens when we simply can’t take it anymore.

When we’ve just been.

I think what worries me most isn’t even the impact of the stress.

It’s what happens when we simply cannot take it anymore. When we become resigned to a new normal when we fall into apathy or despair and don’t see a way out.

So I’m gonna leave you with a quote from Masha Gessen who’s the author of surviving autocracy.

You get Trump once she said, and it’s misfortune. You get them twice. It’s normal.

That’s what this country is.

Vote.