This election cycle is critical, so we’ve made sure to send out mail-in ballots early. You have received a confirmation email stating that you have officially voted.
But as happy as I am about voting, I have also felt pain, sadness, and exhaustion. Frankly, even though I’ve been consistently civically active and it’s safe to say I’m a super voter, I find politics depressing, especially right now. I’m not alone.
I recently spoke about this with Christopher Ojeda, assistant professor of political science at the University of California, Merced, in preparation for an episode of my radio show, Grief Journey. Ojeda studies how citizens think and engage in politics. He is particularly interested in how poverty and mental health shape civic engagement, and his current book project, The Sad Citizen, explores how contemporary democratic politics depresses citizens. I’m exploring what makes me feel good.
Ojeda began the conversation by talking about her childhood in a poor family with a single mother who had no college education and worked two jobs. While in graduate school, he wrote about the income participation gap, where wealthier people tend to be more politically involved than poorer people.
“I thought one explanation for this income participation gap might be depression,” he told me. “We know that poverty is a big risk factor for depression, and I thought depression was something that really held people back. It made it difficult for them to go about their daily lives, and it made it difficult for them to get involved in politics.” may also be included.”
In 2016, Ojeda had a close friend who was extremely depressed after Donald Trump was elected president. That’s when Ojeda began to wonder if politics were causing her depression. “I’ve been thinking this whole time about how depression affects politics. It affects our engagement. It affects the way we think,” Ojeda told me. said, “But here I see my friend depressed because of politics.”
He found inspiration for this new focus in the work of New York Times columnist and author Michelle Goldberg, whose book includes excerpts from her essay “The Mental Health Cost of Politics in the Age of Trump.” Includes citations. Widespread psychological distress, greatly intensified by the pandemic, is contributing to the turmoil in American politics. But perhaps cause and effect are working in the opposite direction, and the ugliness of American politics is taking its toll on the nation’s psyche. ” In other words, politics today is less about serving the public interest and more about elected officials serving their own interests to our detriment. , we are depressed and exhausted. It can be tiresome to remind them that they work for us.
When I said “politics makes me depressed” at the beginning of this article, I did not mean the term as I use it in clinical mental health, but rather the more everyday meaning that Ojeda expresses. I said it to mean, “I feel like I have a heavy burden on my shoulders, and I feel depressed.” A sinking feeling. ”
I’ll probably be exhausted and depressed until the election and for a while afterwards.
For many, those feelings can be exacerbated by family conflicts stemming from political differences. There is a possibility that the number will increase even more after the election. Ojeda’s simple suggestions for how to deal with the latter if your chosen candidate loses the election include taking time away from the news and social media, seeking social support, and expressing your feelings. These include affirming the values of democracy by joining a cause that inspires. passion.
I’ll probably be exhausted and depressed until the election and for a while afterwards. However, now is not the time to stand idly by, so I plan to continue participating in social activities.
You can listen to my full discussion with Ojeda on Fridays at 7 a.m. on G-Town Radio. The show is also archived at Mixcloud.com/griefjourneyshost.
Janice Tost is the host of “Grief Journeys” on Philadelphia’s G Town Radio (www.gtownradio.com). She lives in Germantown and can be reached at janicetostoradio@gmail.com. The discussion with Christopher Ojeda will be broadcast on G-Town Radio on Friday, October 25th at 7am. The show is also archived at Mixcloud.com/griefjourneyshost.
