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.
Related
Jordan Reid
Author; Founding Editor, Ramshackle Glam
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By Straight Arrow News
Former President Donald Trump decisively won the first GOP primary contest of 2024. While some Republican voters are elated about this outcome, many of their Democratic counterparts are grappling with profound anxiety at the prospect of another four years under a Trump presidency.
Straight Arrow News contributor Jordan Reid believes this anxiety is more than justified. Reid forecasts that a Trump victory in the general election would bring on a new wave of acute stress that humans may be ill-equipped to manage.
Allostatic overload. It refers to a state of just chronic stress, 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 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 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.
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.
Related
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Apr 11
Republicans don’t care about female voters
Women make up the largest demographic among registered voters in America and consistently participate in elections, with over 68% turning out to vote in the 2020 presidential election. Some political analysts suggest that with the recent reversal of Roe v. Wade, abortion has become a key issue among voters, benefiting Democratic candidates. However, in the…
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A new social media trend may be responsible for spreading online disinformation about women’s birth control. Influencers and content creators have been publishing content that critics say is not only wrong but also potentially dangerous for young women and girls. Straight Arrow News contributor Jordan Reid confronts that disinformation and tries to clarify the pros…
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