Voters across Bay Area voice anxiety ahead of 2024 election
One week before Election Day and voters across the country were filling out their ballots. Along with that warm sense of civic pride, there may be another feeling: anxiety.
Health professionals are warning that, along with a lot of passion, this election has also stirred up a lot of fear.
Along with all the heat and bluster of the 2024 Presidential election there is also a lot of fears being raised.
Delivering his ballot at the Contra Costa County Elections Office on Tuesday, resident John Netherton felt the future of the country hangs on his vote.
"I think this is the most important election I've ever been involved in. Our country's in trouble and we're going the wrong way," he told CBS News Bay Area. "Anxiety is different for different people. And I suffer from anxiety to start with, so..."
Netherton has a lot of company. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has found that 73% of Americans are extremely anxious about the upcoming election.
Dr. Petros Levounis, past president of the APA, said his institution asked him to clear his schedule on November 5, Election Day, for patients who may need help.
"And this is something we see every four years," he said. "It does happen, but it is extreme this year. And it's not only because the election is very close, as most people say, but it's also because the social media have been polarizing people."
At Kaiser Permanente, behavioral health director Dr. Nicole Ibarra said mental health clinicians are seeing a rise in patients seeking help for anxiety disorders that have been elevated by the presidential election.
"And oftentimes we get anxiety about the things we can't control," Ibarra told CBS News Bay Area. "So, at this point in time, people are being encouraged to vote, to get out in the community, but there's a lot right now that we feel is outside of our control, and that can naturally cause a lot of anxiety and worry and concern."
"The election has become quite toxic," said Vallejo resident Jay Christian. "The words have become fists rather than really competing against each other intelligently, I would say."
Christian is like a lot of people, he worries about what will happen after the election.
An AP/NORC survey from the University of Chicago shows that a majority of people are very concerned about a violent attempt to overturn an election result. And that includes more than a quarter of Republican voters.
"Is it going to be a civil thing?" said Christian. "Is it going to be a separation thing? Is it going to be a war, internal war? People are saying those things. They're not coming out and saying it...but they are saying it."
That's all adding up to a political contest that has driven a wedge through the country.
As he inserted his ballot in the drop box, Mike Borman said it's also ruining relationships.
"Makes me feel that we've lost the feel of country," he said. "I'm a Vietnam Vet and I feel sometimes that people have lost the togetherness that should be in America. That's exactly what I mean by stressful. I have to worry about my friends, relatives, how they're voting, so I know how I can talk, and say something to not offend somebody."
It's no wonder the public is feeling anxious. People used to complain that their vote didn't matter. Now it feels like it's all that's standing between them and the abyss.
So, what can someone do to bring down the anxiety? Therapists say modern communication is bombarding us with messaging 24/7 and it's important to take breaks from news and social media.
They recommend that stressed individuals decompress by spending some time with a pet or getting outside for some exercise.
If you need extra support this election season, the Mental Health Association of San Francisco wants to remind people about the Warm Line, which serves the entire state.
To speak with a counselor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you can call or text 855-845-7415.