Is Post-Election Stress Disorder Real?

This Webinar is On-Demand and can be accessed upon registration at any time. On-Demand Webinar duration is 1 hour. You will earn 1 General CEU upon completion of the on-demand webinar. 

Description: 

Understanding the mental health implications from the 2020 election which elevate stress, anxiety, anger, panic, rage, and self-destructive behavior in clients – and how to stabilize the emotionally charged client

The year 2020 will be remembered as the most psychologically stressful on record. Everything changed in a few months, consider the following -

• Governmental lock-down and curfews – extending for months
• Businesses are closed, many employees working from home
• Forced quarantines for family and coworkers to prevent the spread of disease
• Governmental mandate to wear face masks in all public places
• Dysfunctional relationships begin to unravel during extended lockdown
• Record levels of domestic violence and abuse reported to hotlines
• Relapses of addictions to drugs, gambling, pornography, and alcohol
• Theme parks and convention centers closed, laying off tens of thousands of workers, along with resort hotels and the entire cruise ship industry shuttered, laying off every employee with no sense of when they would have jobs again
• Small businesses struggle financially to stay open after months of closure
• Schools shift to online learning, graduations and summer camps cancelled
• Hospitals block access to be with dying loved ones, and funeral homes are limited to ten people who can attend and honor their dead
• Baker Acts spike during extended lockdown as mental health crisis builds
• Bankrupt businesses, as a global recession expands affecting every home

Then there was the 2020 Presidential Election.

All elections are polarizing as people seek to elect candidates who represent their values. This prolonged election is like an emotional tsunami of anguish for some, joy for others and a letdown of psychological energy for all. Some are highly combative, while others are feeling exhausted and numb inside. Families have been divided over issues for months and recent surveys show how this election has elevated stress, shattered relationships and negatively affected mental health.

• 68% of Americans are stressed about the election
• 52% believe their mental health has suffered due to the election
• 51% anticipate the economy will worsen after the election
• 38% are losing sleep because of election stress
• 24% feel rage about the election
• 47% have not sought mental health treatment due to costs or lack of access

Humans crave a sense of security and safety. People are ramped up emotionally because they believe the outcome of this election will have a long-term impact on their safety. Many are afraid when they go to bed at night and wake up scared the next morning. Their emotions are feeling out of control. The media started using the phrase “Post-Election Stress” to describe these symptoms after Barack Obama was elected President in 2008. Now the media are describing the unusual elevation of these post-election emotions as a psychological disorder.  

Post-Election Stress is not a mental illness – it is a description of an event that sparks extreme emotions and reactions; such as all-or-nothing thinking, blame shifting, attacking, avoiding, denying reality, or irrationally clinging to only one side of an issue. This reaction is not new, and the emotions are not based on a political party. As far back as Plato, philosophers observed how fear and politics were closely connected. This is because people tend to draw feelings of safety and security from their leaders.

There are identifiable therapeutic actions that can be taken after an election to calm client fears. Once you know those actions, you will be better equipped to help clients cope with this unexpected stress. This webinar will provide you with the knowledge and skills to guide a client away from negative behaviors that elevate post-election stress, and to calm members of their family who may be politically polarized by the news media or social media.

Extreme emotions can be successfully managed during a global pandemic to not make a client’s situation or relationships more complicated. Knowing how to safely care for clients using behavioral health resources can guide them toward healing behaviors in these difficult times. It is essential to stabilize this most recent mental health stressor magnified by this unprecedented global pandemic.

CE Broker Tracking #: 20-801136

This is an event sponsored by FMHCA. This course is approved by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, LMHC, LMFT, LCSW – FMHCA CE Broker #: 50-748

Learning Objectives:

Participants will:

1. Understand the mental health patterns of post-election stress and how to respond at each stage to stabilize elevated emotions.
2. Implement emotional and behavioral strategies to use with emotionally charged clients, as well as their highly polarized family, coworkers and friends who may struggle with emotional self-control during the days and weeks of governmental uncertainty.
3. Intervene with potentially dangerous situations in a way that protects the safety of practitioners while keeping them and their clients safe from violence.
4. Gain a new approach to use with difficult or combative clients, or clients who may be struggling with future fears instead of current realities using mental wellness.
5. Develop or deepen crisis management skills necessary during the many months of extended pandemic, recession, unemployment, or community unrest.

About the Presenter:

Dwight Bain is a Nationally Certified Counselor in practice since 1984. His focus is on finding creative solutions to manage crisis events. Bain is a trusted media resource who has been interviewed on over 500 radio and television stations; as well as quoted in over 100 newspapers/websites including: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Atlanta Journal, Orlando Sentinel, Miami Herald, Newsday, FoxBusiness.com & MSNBC.com