Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Now we'll take some time to maybe unwind a little bit, if that's even the right word, and let go of some of the pent up stress we've accumulated during this election season and be ready for the stress possibly to come in the coming days, and maybe weeks, and maybe four years. Tomorrow is, of course, the big day. Everybody's anxiously waiting to see what direction our country will go as a result of the decisions being made at the ballot box, but maybe some of you are experiencing more anxiety due to the election process than in previous years. The cycle has been particularly intense. I don't have to tell you, Democrats are continually pushing the message that democracy is on the line, and based on Donald Trump's previous actions and rhetoric, that message is more salient and more anxiety producing to a lot of Democrats this time around. Republicans have their own different anxieties, but already we're seeing so many things from a Democratic perspective, from a gendered perspective, from a racial and immigration status perspective, the racism, the promises of mass deportation, women actually dying from pregnancies even that they wanted, attack ads centered on the premise that trans people shouldn't be visible in public. I could go on and on.

All the while, Americans are concerned even about their own safety with respect to even saying who they're for. We heard that from the one caller in the Bronx in the last segment. And so we get to the psychological impact of all this. According to the American Psychological association, more than 7 in 10 adults reported the future of our nation as a significant source of stress in their lives, making it the most common source of significant stress in this year's survey. I'm quoting from the American Psychological Association. It goes on. The economy was the second most common, with 73% of adults having reported it as a significant source of stress. The 2024 US presidential election followed closely at 69%. That's 70-ish percent in an American Psychological association national poll saying that the future of our nation. 77%, the election itself. 69%, their main source of anxiety.

The causes of this stress feel very much out of people's control. That's one of the things that's so stressful about it, right? If there's something going on in your life that's personal, sometimes you can come up with strategies to take more control, figure out something that's going on in one of your relationships that's causing stress or at work that's causing stress, those kinds of things, but election anxiety presents a different kind of challenge. Joining us now is Dr. Shairi Turner. She's the chief health officer at Crisis Text Line, which is an organization that provides 24/7 text-based mental health support to folks in the United states and abroad. Dr. Turner, thanks for coming on. Welcome to WNYC.

Dr. Shairi Turner: Thank you for having me, Brian.

Brian Lehrer: Listeners, we invite your calls with stories or questions on election anxiety. 212-433-WNYC. 212-433-9692. Is there a particular issue, like the economy, at the center of your anxiety? Are you from a minority group caught in the crosshairs of our country's growing polarization? Racial minority, immigration status, minority, gender identity, minority, other LGBTQ, or maybe just a woman who's in the majority or a man. Maybe you're engaging in conversations that leave you drained or scared. Does your job require you to pay close attention to the election, making it impossible to unplug? How is this stress affecting your day to day life and what are you doing to manage it, or maybe you can get some advice from our guest. Call or text us at 212-433-WNYC. 212-433-9692.

I will say at the outset here, and I'll say it again at the end of the segment for callers who don't want to go on the air, but you're looking for some kind of help. Our guest is from Crisis Text Line, and you can text Election to 741741. Text Election to 741741 to be connected to a live volunteer. But Dr. Turner, start us off by introducing listeners to Crisis Text Line. What kind of services can someone expect when they take the plunge and come to you for help that's election anxiety-related?

Dr. Shairi Turner: Yes. Thank you so much, Brian. As you mentioned, Crisis Text Line is a national nonprofit. We provide free 24/7, high quality, mental health support and crisis intervention solely on a text platform. By text, WhatsApp, or web chat in English or in Spanish. Anyone can text Election or Elecciónes to 741741 and receive support from a live trained volunteer crisis counselor who's supervised by our mental health professional staff. We say, "A crisis to you is a crisis to us." If it's related to the election, any part of that, like relationships or general stress and anxiety, our volunteers are trained in active listening, in empathy, in collaborative problem solving. But really the main point is to de-escalate from that frantic hot moment to a cooler calm.

Brian Lehrer: To be candid, are you seeing this breakdown similarly or much differently along party lines or demographic lines? Is it much more people who are afraid of Trump's impact on the country if he's elected who are reaching out for help with their personal election related anxiety or is it closer to even?

Dr. Shairi Turner: We don't have the party breakdowns. We have a post-conversation survey that any texter can complete at the end of the text conversation that's completely anonymous and aggregated insights. We don't ask about party affiliations, but we do know the common thread when texters mention elections. Some of the more common topics are really conflict between loved ones, that polarization, anxiety, and stress due to the upcoming elections, due to the uncertainty we're facing as a nation, a general sense of overwhelm. Then these concerns about, like you mentioned, specific rights and policies for immigrants, for people of color, for those who are LGBTQ. All of these policies are front of mind for people who are texting in. We know, based on our previous elections, that we're probably going to have an increase in texters reaching out for support on election night and throughout the weeks to come.

Brian Lehrer: Here's an example of something that's coming in in our very robust text stream to our show on this topic, Dr. Turner. This says, "I feel numb, which is preventing me from working or even enjoying things I once enjoyed. It's awful." They're saying that's election related. How would you start to counsel somebody like that?

Dr. Shairi Turner: Yes. You know our bodies are very intelligent, right? When you have been overwhelmed, numbness is a feeling that can arise. It's really your body trying, your mind trying to protect you. It means that too much election-related information is flooding your senses, and to feel numb is to protect yourself from complete overwhelm. What I would suggest, what we suggest in those situations is really curate what's coming in. Curate your news feed, curate your conversations, unplug from social media as you need to. It's really the body's way of saying, I need a break. The mind's way of saying, I need something else besides information overload about the elections. It's an opportunity to do something different. Get outside, talk with friends, change the subject, and really do the things that bring you joy. To try to find some space amongst all of this.

Brian Lehrer: Here's a text that I think hits on a very important point. This one says, "Regarding election stress, I just couldn't take the anxiety anymore. Last week I signed up to canvass in Pennsylvania and went with Swing Left to canvass in eastern Pennsylvania yesterday. I'm still stressed and anxious, but I feel better after talking to voters in a swing state." I think what's suggested there is something that I think is universally important, especially in a political context. If you feel like politics are all messed up, the direction of the country is all wrong no matter what your politics, get involved and take action, rather than sitting around your living room and your bedroom and just feeling bad.

Dr. Shairi Turner: Stewing. Because you can get so caught up in your mind, and just the fear of what's to come. When you actually get out and volunteer and take action and take people to the polls regardless of what their political affiliations may be, it really gives us purpose. I think sitting around- when we sit around and just consume passively the information that's being directed to us and we know, depending on what state you're in, you're getting a different spin on reality of the election. But to get out there and to talk to real people, you get a sense that all is not lost. We have a very important election ahead of us, but people are very thoughtful, and the ability to help someone get to the polls or to have a conversation about a really rational conversation about the issues can be very grounding for individuals.

Brian Lehrer: Listener writes, "I am afraid that if Trump loses, he won't accept it, and that if he wins, he'll finish destroying American institutions, including the Federal Reserve. I have not slept in two weeks." That's the first time anybody ever told me that didn't that they're losing sleep over the Federal Reserve. But it continues, "I am really exhausted with this long campaign. Tomorrow I plan to get a massage and go to bed early." Is not watching the election returns tomorrow night in real time one way to manage election anxiety?

Dr. Shairi Turner: Absolutely. We have to do what our body needs us to do. If this person is already lost weeks worth of sleep, it's not going to help. We know tomorrow we may not have a definitive decision. We have seen what's happened over the course- since 2020. Everyone has to protect themselves, take care of themselves in the way that makes them feel whole and makes them feel safe and allows them to function. We still have to go to work every day. We still have to eat and sleep and interact with people on a daily basis. I encourage everyone to figure out what they need tomorrow. Figure it out in advance. Figure it out today, what tomorrow might look like for them and what's the best plan, because having a plan of action again is something to hold onto and something that is concrete and actionable.

Brian Lehrer: On concrete and actionable, Craig in Westchester, I think is going to echo the previous texter who talked about taking some kind of action. Craig, you're on WNYC. Thank you for calling in.

Craig: Hi, Brian. Thanks so much for taking the call. Absolutely, I think that if somebody is experiencing a lot of anxiety, perhaps one way to confront that is to go deep into it and address the problem. If you feel like volunteering could potentially help your situation, if you're fearful that politics will go in one direction, I suppose taking steps to volunteer to help help that along, that might be a beneficial thing. I would encourage everyone to go out and volunteer right now.

Brian Lehrer: Craig, thank you very much. Here's Mimi in Manhattan who says she's a psychotherapist. Mimi, you're on WNYC. Hello.

Mimi Gupta: Hi, Brian. I'm a longtime listener. I really admire your work and I'm really glad that you're having this segment today. I was waiting for it for a while, actually. I am just a beginning psychotherapist and my perspective is that this is so deeply disturbing because these are not intellectual differences. These are really visceral and deeply emotional, and I really appreciate the help that crisis lines can give. I used to work on a crisis line, but if people want something, want to explore things in more depth, research shows that in cases of collective anxiety, being in group therapy or support groups can really help. If you will permit me, I can make a little plug for my practice because we are actually offering an election anxiety group right now.

Brian Lehrer: Okay.

Mimi Gupta: Yes. If any of your audience is interested in that, they can go to psychologytoday.com and look me up. My name is Mimi, M-I-M-I, Gupta, G-U-P-T-A. You can connect me about information for this group, but it goes back to what you were talking about in your last segment as well, the gender differences and the trouble that when- even when this election is over, whether or not your candidate wins, you have to keep living with those who are on the other side of the divide. That itself is so anxiety provoking.

Brian Lehrer: Mimi, thank you very, very much for your call. Some good insights there, and that's another way to manage your anxiety is to get into a specific election anxiety related group, as Mimi says she offers. It's an indication of how much election or let's say- because the election's going to be over soon, but depending on who you are and depending on what the result is political anxiety, anxiety over the future of our country or the future of the safety of you or people you know, or however it's being experienced, might go on joining groups. Dr. Turner.

Dr. Shairi Turner: Yes, yes. What I think is really key that Mimi brought up was that Crisis Text Line offers in the moment support, but sometimes the issues are deeper for individuals and it's critical to know when it's time to reach out and establish a relationship with a therapist. Whether that's group therapy, individual therapy, and I thank Mimi for the work that she does and the fact that she's providing this specific election-related support. Because people can text Crisis Text Line in the moment, but sometimes these things trigger take us back to childhood experiences that need to be explored a little bit more deeply.

Brian Lehrer: Yes. On what Mimi just said about the challenge of how do you go on with the people in your life afterwards if you're so divided. I think Nicole in Cranford, New Jersey has a personal story about that or a concern. Nicole, you're on WNYC. Thank you for calling in.

Nicole: Hi, Brian. Thanks for having me.

Brian Lehrer: Yes, we got you.

Nicole: Yes. My sister-- Yes, hi. Can you hear me?

Brian Lehrer: Yes.

Nicole: Okay. Great. My sister and I are- we've got families of our own, but we're very close with our parents. My sister and I are both Democrats. My parents have been right wing as long as I can remembe, but it seems like this particular election is even more fraught. I think the first time around with Trump, we didn't really know what we were getting ourselves into with Trump as president. I think having that hindsight and knowing what is possibly to come, especially with the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and my sister and I being my parents' only kids, they have daughters, it's been incredibly divisive in my family as to how we can share DNA and have completely different political viewpoints. I have tremendous amount of anxiety about this. My neck is all locked up. I just feel like I don't even- whoever wins, it's not going to change the dynamics between our family members. It's tough.

Brian Lehrer: Dr. Turner, any advice in brief for Nicole?

Dr. Shairi Turner: Yes, Nicole, that's so hard. I just want to empathize with you because I think you are not alone. So many people are having these difficult conversations with friends and family members, and you have to agree to disagree and decide how much energy you feel capable of putting into these conversations, and try to create the space for hearing each other's point of view without going into needing to convince. Speak about how it impacts you and how these issues impact you, and then don't be tied necessarily to the outcome of the conversation.

Your parents sit in the space of what their beliefs are. You and your sister have your beliefs. You share DNA, but you have very different experiences and you're from different generations and know that you don't have to engage in the conversations at all. If you do, you may want to set an amount of time and really gauge your body and your body's response to the conversation. Sometimes helps to practice the words you want to use to politely end the conversation when you feel feel like it's just going in a direction that's not productive.

Brian Lehrer: Those are all such good, specific tips. Where you didn't go, that I wonder if you want to go for people in Nicole's situation, is also to just suggest to whoever your loved one is that, let's just not talk about politics in our lives. Let's talk about anything else that's going on in the family, anything else that's personal, but let's just decide. We are so distressed by each other's politics that we're just going to compartmentalize it, put it in a box and tie it up with a bow, and send it out to the ocean for our relationship.

Dr. Shairi Turner: Yes, that's a great point, Brian. It's like, if you know you're at odds and you know you're on different sides of the spectrum for these issues, it may not be worthwhile to even open that box and just put it aside. Agree that you're not going to talk about it and try to just live into the common shared experiences, the positive experiences that you have.

Brian Lehrer: Last one real quick, because here's a word that hasn't come up yet in this conversation that comes up in therapy all the time. One of the emotions we experience as human beings, and it surprises me. Listener writes, "As a White Christian woman, I feel like I am in the minority in my church. I left service yesterday feeling guilty. Guilty for my inability to vote for Donald Trump. Have you ever heard anything like that before?"

Dr. Shairi Turner: Wow. I think everyone is experiencing- has the potential to feel like they are out of line or having different experiences than their community, whatever their community may be. I think we just- we have to be strong in our own beliefs and know that people are- have different experiences and different perspectives, but be okay. There's no need to feel guilty if you have made a decision about how you want to vote and what you believe in. That's your decision and you have every right to it.

Brian Lehrer: Dr. Shairi Turner is Chief Health Officer at Crisis Text Line. For those of you with election anxiety who feel like it might be helpful to reach out, you can text Election to 741741. Just text the word Election to 741741 to be connected to a live volunteer crisis counselor from their service. I hope after coming on and being so helpful to so many listeners, that your lines don't blow up so much that you can't handle it.

Dr. Shairi Turner: We are ready.

Brian Lehrer: But thank you for the service that you're offering, and thank you very much for sharing some of your time today.

Dr. Shairi Turner: Thank you so much, Brian.

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