The Trump presidency and mental health in the U.S.
The last four years have been nothing short of eventful. Some might say chaotic. Others may label them traumatic.
With former President Trump at the helm, our nation struggled with a global pandemic that has killed 400,000 of our fellow Americans, unprecedented unemployment, racial strife, tensions abroad and so much more.
Many of our problems remain even if, our larger-than-life leader is gone.
His absence leaves a void, the extent of which, has yet to be fully assessed.
"I've compared it to when somebody leaves an abusive relationship and they're trying to date again, they have to figure out how to be in a romantic relationship again and knowing there's some trauma," said Dr. Jennifer Contarino Panning.
Dr. Panning is a licensed clinical psychologist who has coined the phrase, "Trump anxiety disorder." That is, the general unease that has arisen over the last four years, the effect of a president addicted to social media, with Americans and a media landscape hanging on his every word.
"There's a lot of healing, a lot of just getting used to decency and predictability and boring Presidential behavior again," Dr. Panning said.
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Dr. Bandy Lee, the author of "Profile of a nation, trump's mind, America's soul," believes the president acted as a barometer. Without him, the nation must recalibrate.
"I had been concerned for quite some time about how the state of our collective mental health had been deteriorating," Dr. Lee said.
The impact on our mental health can be felt by both trump supporters and those who despise him.
"The Trump voter and supporters, I think we have a lot of work to do figure out how to connect with them, how to come together," said Dr. Panning.
The National Opinion Research Center conducted an annual survey and found, people describing themselves as "very happy" was down a whopping 14 percent, similar to responses in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.
Experts say the best way to heal the wounds of the past and move forward in a constructive manner is to take a step back from social media, turn off the tv, reinvest in interpersonal relationships and reconnect with the things that bring you joy.