Post Presidency Stress Disorder: Are You Feeling Sad and Depressed?

Summary

The author describes experiencing "Post Presidency Stress Disorder (PPSD)" following the recent election, characterized by a mix of elation, relief, and unexpected sadness due to the toll of accumulated stress, anxiety, and trauma from the past four years and the intense week of waiting for election results.

Abstract

The article titled "Post Presidency Stress Disorder: Are You Feeling Sad and Depressed?" discusses the complex range of emotions the author feels post-election, despite their preferred candidate's victory. These feelings include elation and hope but also a surprising sense of sadness and overwhelm. The author reflects on the stress experienced during the election week, fearing another term of division and lies. The piece suggests that the past four years have been traumatic for many, particularly those with a history of trauma, due to the rhetoric and actions of the outgoing president. The term "Post Presidency Stress Disorder" is coined to describe the collective emotional exhaustion and the need for healing, even as a new president promises hope and unity.

Opinions

The author believes that the emotional toll of the past four years, exacerbated by the recent election, has led to a form of collective trauma they term "Post Presidency Stress Disorder (PPSD)."
The author expresses a personal sense of relief and hope with the election results but also acknowledges an unexpected lingering sadness and exhaustion.
There is a clear critique of the outgoing president's behavior, including division, lying, and disregard for science, which the author suggests has been particularly distressing for those with trauma histories.
The author emphasizes the importance of recognizing and addressing the emotional impact of the political climate, advocating for collective healing beyond the change in leadership.
The article implies that the intensity of media consumption during the election, particularly watching news reports, contributed to the author's and possibly others' stress and anxiety levels.

Your candidate won but why the melancholy?

It’s been a long four years and with the election over, I find myself elated, relieved, hopeful, and…something else. Something I can’t quite put my finger on- a sense of overwhelm and sadness. But why?

The stress of waiting to hear the election results took its toll on many. We waited and waited. I watched CNN news throughout the day, worried that the numbers, going up in Biden’s favor, would suddenly take a dive. From Tuesday, Election Day, and for four days after, I was in a state of inner chaos. Would Biden really win? Or would we have to endure another four years of hate and paranoia by a president that succeeded in dividing this country, spewing lies and laughing at science.

As I thought about my feelings and why the sadness, anger, and even fear overcame me even in light of a victory, I began to realize that these feelings were the result of four years of anxiety and sadness and an intense week of poll watching. It took its toll on me- this stress- finally exploding into relief as I heard the news that Biden had indeed won. And then the sadness drifted in the following day — the pure exhaustion of the Trump years and the tension of waiting and hoping that those years would indeed, be over.

I believe that this country has been traumatized, at least for those whose ideals and ethics are so different from Trump’s. For those with trauma backgrounds, hearing his rhetoric, his false accusations, his lies, his gaslighting, can stir up unconscious (and conscious) memories of one’s own trauma history.

It’s important to recognize that this may be what is going on with you. I’m calling this Post Presidency Stress Disorder (PPSD). Even without a trauma background, the past week- waiting for the election results to come in, fear, anxiety, worry, watching the news excessively- has taken its toll on many of us.

Now, with the results in- a new president offering hope, peace, and unity, understand that your feelings may be relief and more, as the tidal waves have receded.

We are free, again. But we still need to heal.