Main Street News

As of this moment, we have a week until voters head to the polls to elect the next president of these United States, with Election Day set for Tuesday, Nov. 5. Once every four years our political process opens up so registered voters, 18 and older, are given the privilege — and the responsibility — to do their civic duty and help elect the person most qualified (we hope) to lead the free world, which for nearly two-and-a-half centuries has equated to the highest position in our land: President of the USA.

However, as helming the good ‘ole US of A and its executive branch is no ordinary job, neither is earning the keys to the Oval Office. When forming our great democracy 248 years ago, our Founding Fathers decided on a very specific (and some might argue a rather complex and convoluted) electoral process. While our general elections don’t always run exactly like clockwork, typically the majority of presidential races function smoothly enough to decide on a definitive victor so there’s either a seamless continuance of power or a smooth transfer of power.

Yes, I know, January 6, 2021, is the ultimate example of the opposite occurring. The losing incumbent presidential candidate, Donald Trump, initially refused to relinquish power and hand over his post to the clear victor of the 2020 race, Joseph Biden. A deadly riot then ensued on the steps of the US Capitol, breaching deep into the chambers with rioters. It was the antithesis of how the nation that epitomizes democracy should behave and served to further divide what had already become an incredibly acrimonious political environment.

What’s Election Stress Disorder?

But we’re not here to discuss January 6 or the behaviors of our politicians. Rather, this piece aims to look at the increasingly alarming levels of stress and anxiety associated with elections — specifically presidential elections — and question why that is. The political vitriol in America has reached such a fevered pitch, there now exists a psychological malady that plagues voters every election cycle. It’s called Election Stress Disorder.

Has our political discourse really become so toxic that the very thought of selecting a candidate sends voters to a therapist’s couch? Have the citizens of our once-politically-idyllic nation become so intolerant that we’ve created a nation exactly like those our forefathers fled generations earlier in search of political and religious freedom, with many arriving here — in America — having dreams of uninhibited and free political discourse?

Why isn’t everyone able to have their own political ideology — even if that differs from our own? Why must we insist that everyone agrees with one another? Where does freedom of choice come into play — isn’t that what this country was founded on in the first place?

This isn’t new though

It’s not as if this is a new phenomenon. Through the annals of American politics, there have certainly been several hiccups regarding presidential elections. Sometimes the push-and-shove between candidates has been less severe, as in the case of the 2000 elections when then Texas Governor George W. Bush challenged then Vice President Al Gore, who had won the popular vote. Remember those darn hanging chads? Originally George W. lost the popular vote and won the electoral vote; but a mandatory recount in the Sunshine State put Bush in the lead. The waters became murkier when an additional hand recount required by the Florida Supreme Court was deemed unconstitutional, but W. was still declared the victor by a slim margin of 537 votes.

Another, less civil, example dates back to the election of 1800, when Democratic-Republican party members Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr received 73 votes each while Federalist party member John Adams earned 65. Ultimately Congress had to break the tie. Founder of the Federalists and the first US Treasury Secretary, Alexander Hamilton, campaigned to get Jefferson elected over Adams, though Hamilton wasn’t fond of any of the three candidates.

According to the history books, the House of Representatives had such difficulty deciding, it cast 35 votes within a single week before electing Jefferson president and Burr vice president on February 7, 1801. A fantastical and fatal footnote states the rivalry between Burr and Hamilton continued to fester, with Burr killing Hamilton in a duel three years later, while still serving as vice president.

Antagonism and the rise of ESD

Fingers crossed the hostilities we’ve witnessed these past few election cycles won’t boil over to such an extreme. If one follows social media, though, or even mainstream media (including cable TV), it’s probably not surprising that campaigning has become so antagonistic it’s created enough strain and tension among voters to have given birth to the new psychological phenomenon known as ESD.

In fact, the vitriol is so divisive, so negative, so downright hostile, that the American Psychological Association (APA) deemed the disorder’s classification necessary to describe the angst and anxiety many experience during the general election cycle. And it matters not whether one is Republican or Democrat, male or female, according to the APA.

Although ESD is not presently considered an official diagnosis by the APA, the phrase was coined by psychologist Steven Stosny, based out of Washington, DC. Stosny blamed what should normally be a benign and routine governmental process for creating intense symptoms of stress and conflict; he said he first witnessed patterns of ESD among his patients in couples’ therapy after the 2016 election cycle.

That year, Stosny stated he was “overwhelmed with distress calls during the recent election cycle. The vitriol and pervasive negativity of the campaigns, amplified by 24-hour news and social media, created a level of stress and resentment that intruded into many people’s intimate relationships.”

The APA conducted a survey prior to the 2016 elections that found 52% of American adults found the election to be a “very” or “somewhat significant” source of stress — a 2024 annual mental health poll by the APA showed that adults in the US feel increasingly anxious, with 73% of those surveyed saying they feel especially anxious about the upcoming presidential election.

It’s no wonder. With few exceptions, almost everyone in my personal circle has told me they have a family member or close friend whose political views lean so far to the left or to the right that they’ve expressed a willingness to cut ties with either family members or close friends who have differing political views.

Blood no longer thicker than water?

Wow. I cannot remember another time in my life when there’s been such an unwillingness for people to bend, to compromise, or to listen to other viewpoints. Reasonable people are now perfectly prepared to cut lifelong ties over politics and/or political figures that absolutely disgust them.

I have an acquaintance who saw a close friend ejected a from a holiday party because of a very heated political discourse during the 2020 elections — thereby cutting off a decades’ long relationship. Another friend has a relative who demanded a family member leave their home over a political disagreement during Thanksgiving. Again, it was right around elections. Whatever happened to that old adage, “blood is thicker than water?” Apparently, not during election season.

Stosny had found that stress peaks during elections, with his patients reporting constant alerts from “news sources, blogs, social media, and alternative facts feel[ing] like missile explosions in a siege without end.” That’s understandable, especially when it’s so hard to sift fact from fiction. The fallout from the 24/7 media blitz, exponentially more aggressive during the presidential elections, is fatiguing. Stosny added after voting ended that stress didn’t cease but continued on until four years later, when the next president was elected.

As most candidates think vilifying their opponents is the best way to achieve success, chances are this unhealthy, symbiotic relationship between anxiety and campaigning will only build, affecting both individual voters and communities alike. Sadly, these days it seems that America — historically reputed for being “the land of the free” — is finding an alarming number of its citizens seem to behave as though our famed musical motto applies only to those who share their same viewpoint. In my opinion, that’s a sure-fire way to strike an incredibly sour note.

What can one do?

This begs the question of, what can one do during these stressful and tumultuous times? If one does not want to get wrapped up in the constant barrage of posts, news headlines, etc. etc. and etc.! Then consider turning it off. Turn off the notifications, put on a sitcom instead of the news, snooze the social media posts, meditate and find your happy place, and set your boundaries with those closest to you if that’s needed. One might even have to go so far as to say this to your nearest and dearest, “I love you and respect you, so please respect me and refrain from sharing your political views with me unless we’re doing so in a kind and respectful way.”

Not advocating sticking your head in the sand, but rather imploring everyone to do their own homework on the various candidates from the presidential election to your local officials. Don’t let the opinions of others, or the media, impact you and your vote. Do your own research, on your own terms and time. Make an informed decision based on what is right for you, and your life.

Of course this might be easier in theory than actuality because so many folks are more than happy to spew their own opinions and agendas, however unsolicited, on our daily journeys through life. At those moments, you should know your own boundaries and in some instances you might perhaps have to simply remove yourself from the situation.

But we’re a week away and a lot of this “noise” will subside in the coming weeks. At the end of the day, know yourself, what works and does not work for you, and safeguard your own stress levels. There are probably countless websites on the interwebs to give advice on the various ways one can tackle the political turmoil and the stress it causes, some of whom are probably more qualified with the advice than we are here, but we’re here – writing these words, giving this information – to raise a little awareness about the status of all of our political affairs and stress levels that result from it. If you’re feeling the heat and having ESD symptoms, you’re not alone. But you know what? You got this! Together we can overcome.