How Politics are Traumatizing Us
In the months leading up to last year’s presidential election, several of my clients experienced a notable increase in symptoms. As a trauma therapist, I’ve often observed how societal uncertainty can deeply affect an individual’s well-being. Clients who had been relatively stable for months suddenly found themselves struggling to sleep, their minds racing with apprehension, and apocalyptic fantasies running wild.
Prior to the election—and to some extent, the inauguration—many found some relief in the words of the Greek Stoic philosopher, Epictetus:
"The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control."
Back in the good ole’ days of mid-to-late 2024, no one could say with certainty how a new administration would change life as we knew it. It seemed wise to let go of what we couldn’t control and focus on what lay within our sphere of influence.
Flash forward to 2025, and many now feel trapped in a world that seems like a hellscape of t-shirt-gun-style, chaotic news reports. Clients are unraveling, and the lines between what we can control and what we can’t have become painfully blurred. Many of us are left wondering: Is it better to withdraw and wait for the storm of executive orders to pass, or do we have a responsibility to stay informed and engaged?
Trauma is complex, but after two decades in the field, I’ve found that much of the psychological aftermath boils down to two core responses: helplessness and avoidance. The vast majority of the thousands of clients I’ve worked with describe an overwhelming sense of helplessness and a strong urge to avoid anything that might trigger the emotions tied to their trauma.
This is why empowerment is such a vital and effective treatment for trauma survivors. Unfortunately, when the public feels bombarded by a constant barrage of sweeping executive orders—many of which have uncertain consequences—maintaining a sense of power becomes a real challenge.
Those most disenfranchised by these decisions are often populations that have long struggled with empowerment, including LGBTQ and BiPOC communities. Trauma survivors working in government agencies describe low morale and emotional shutdowns as they navigate this uncertainty. They feel unable to talk openly with colleagues about their shared anxieties for fear of being monitored or facing reprisals.
A natural response to being triggered is to detach from the offending stimuli. While it may seem sensible to avoid what upsets us, research shows that avoidance-oriented coping after a traumatic event can actually lead to increased PTSD symptoms over time. For example, if you’re afraid of flying and never board a plane, you’ll continue to see air travel as terrifying. But if you keep flying while effectively managing your anxiety, you’ll eventually come to realize that air travel can be safe. Overcoming fear requires developing coping skills, accessing resources, confronting the fear, and internalizing one's strength and success.
As such, I’ve been encouraging clients to approach the news in bite-sized chunks while staying focused on self-regulation. If they begin to feel overwhelmed, I guide them to tune into those emotions and stay with them. I remind them that they can handle this—though it may feel intense, it is not an immediate physical threat.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that many of my clients are feeling re-traumatized by the actions of the current presidential administration. A democracy, while a balance of give and take, should be a place where every citizen’s voice is heard and respected. The unfortunate consequence of re-traumatization and disempowerment is that shutting down and avoidance may become the default response, and change cannot happen without dissent.
