Is there a doctor in the house?

I have noticed an unusually high level of mental meltdowns here in the Democratic Underground (self included). I have never seen so many shell shocked folks here as I have seen these past few days. I have spoken with one other DUer on this topic, his assessment: people of America are getting a huge dose of sensory overload this week. Combine that with even a moderately enlightened mind add an unhealthy dose of fear and uncertainty about the future and BAM. We here at the Democratic Underground can add to that mix of overload because of our sharing data at such ferocious rate. The word burnout comes to mind but I suspect a real mental health phenomenon is more accurate: Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, or some version of this. I am no doctor so this is not a diagnosis, just an observation. I WOULD like to see a REAL doctor respond in this thread and perhaps offer up some advice. Are a lot of us setting ourselves up for some unhealthy mental issues here or is this just my imagination? (I have been hiding in the lounge these last few days so forgive me if this topic has already been handled, direct me too it so I can offer it up to the rest of the walking wounded drifting in and out of the lounge).

plus fear and loathing of the Bumble Bush Administration.

Thank goodness for DU, because my life is full of conservatives:toast:

...likely they also are being affected. They are no different than us in some respects, they have strong opinions on what is going on in America, they too feel America is in trouble, they too are likely riveted to cnn or faux or whatever paying close attention to the horror visited to us by Katrina. I am observing an ELEVATED undercurrent, not quite burnout not mass hysteria, but something. Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome feels closer to the right words. DU is a great source of comfort, group-hugs and great advice are rampant right now. I am fishing for a couple of different doctors with this thread. Perhaps one who is a doctor of Anthropology who may be able to put into perspective exactly what it is I am seeing. The other doctor would be in the mental health field. Someone equipped to to diagnose this phenomenon, perhaps confirming or alleviating my suspicions that this phenomenon is decidedly not healthy.
(Good luck with the conservatives, maybe a few will wake up to the notion that our government is neither "ours" nor "conservative")

Not a medical doctor (and i never allow anyone to call me "doctor", i hate that), but the only way to remain sane and avoid TSD is to be able to be sympathetic and not try to empathize with things we can't possibly imagine. (We were in a bad flood in our town in 1984, but it was NOTHING compared to this.) I didn't even try to empathize. I simply tried to detach enough to care, but not to let it affect me personally.

I don't know if that's the answer or not, but it keeps me sane.
The Professor

...vet bennies ran out about the same time my ex did. Our custom of addressing our profs as Dr. is still ingrained into me, it was a respect thing.
I like your advice, yet I wonder if many folks are subconsciously doing the opposite. The melt-downs I have witnessed here in the DU were from fairly normal folks who would be in agreement with you, I suspect. I think I am seeing an increase in these kinds of posts: "thats it we are screwed" or another common one rants on about how "hopeless" things are, citing examples to prove the case, there are more and more DUers comming into the lounge looking for hugs. I guess what I think I am seeing is an increase in despondency, maybe an increase in anger, and surely an increase in frustration. I know it is hard not to empathise with these horrers we see hourly on the television. When my daughter and I saw the piece on pets left behind after Katrina, well lets say "detached" was not what we felt. My fear is that there could be many of my fellow DUers getting wound up over what horrors they see on TV, coming here and getting further wound up. These are my fellow DUers, they are not stupid, not by a long shot but they may not be aware of the stress they are subjecting themselves to and its source. This added stress manifested here in the virtual world is ok but manifested in the real world may not be so ok. (Can't have folks goin out kicken their dogs for instance over the combined frustrations.) By creating this thread I hope to draw attention to my observations. If there really IS some sort of stress syndrome going on here in the DU, then perhaps it will get noticed and dealt with by those with better tools than I. Thanks Professor

I have talked to family and friends who are just as angry and enraged at the BUSH's disaster. I'm sure that most here can share the same observations. So what is the point of relegating the emotions that people rightfully feel about an extremely shocking situation to this forum?

In an earlier post on this topic with a fellow DUer he noted that the average DUer is a bit better informed than folks who are only getting their news from MSM. He equated that to added stress above and beyond the stress levels of those lesser informed. That conversation stemmed from my observations of an increase in the amount of "meltdown" style posts I had been observing lately here in the DU.
I now have it on good authority that DU is part of the therapy as opposed to part of the problem. (Although my stress level is a bit higher because I feel like an idiot for wondering about all this)

Call and write Congress. Demand accountability -- ie, impeachment!

I'm a journalist, so I've also channeled the horror at what we've all seen into exposing the truth in as many publications as possible. I've also forwarded tips to mainstream media, and at least a couple of those were picked up and aired.

We can't bring back those who perished in New Orleans, but we can vindicate their deaths by holding the Bush administration -- and anyone else who was derelict in their duty -- fully accountable. In my view, there should be criminal penalities against those responsible for the devastating loss of human life.


If you ask me, the one who needs services of a mental health professional most is Bush -- who Nancy Pelosi rightly called "dangerous" today.

First off thank you for your work. I subscribe to online weekly updates from "Media Matters" I have parroted this statement for years: Democracy REQUIRES an informed electorate! Without you and those like you we can not have true Democracy. My hats off to you Liberty Belle.
One of those "walking wounded" whose post I read, claims to also have done quite a bit of activism, signed petitions wrote congressmen and etc. Likely his "meltdown post" was just his looking for someones shoulder to cry on, he found a few as well as a few angry words. He reposted the next day with sincere apologies and we forgave him of course. My point is this: even with his vents, many similar to your own, he suffered a meltdown. My concern is that like all of us here in the DU he subconsciously took in a lot more stress than he normally would have. The Katrina images/bushco-spin recognition/DU-data barrage combination is where the stress is coming from. Perhaps recognition of this is key to understanding it. I sure wish we had some phsych. majors looking at this.

I've had to learn to take time out now and then. Go someplace peaceful and don't turn on the TV. Remember that there's a world outside of politics, and appreciate those around you. Do some volunteer activities in a way that produces tangible results, besides your political work, which can feel like banging one's head against a brick wall at time.

Then when you've recharged the mental batteries, jump back into the political action fray.

I do think that many of us are suffering from an Acute Stress Disorder though.

Fortunately, the best way to prevent PTSD is to talk about what you're seeing, and better yet, act on it (i.e. by contacting congressmen, media, etc.) That's why they always have counselors ready at shelters, to get people talking about their experiences as soon as possible.

Short answer: Yes, we are stressed...but DU is therapy!

Thank you, I am pleased to know that DU is therapy. Not being a doctor I was beginning to suspect that it could have been part of the
problem. I am relieved to hear otherwise. (I am also relieved to hear that it was not my imagination, that something was up). Acute Stress Disorder, it's even got a name. Thank you again

to what is going on. I have mostly read. And what I have read is shocking, just as shocking as 911 and election stolen 2000. We have some bad coocoos running this country and it's time to make them go.

I can handle this for now. The anger, the loss of sleep, elevated blood pressure.

But, I'm not too sure it is going to subside anytime soon. I'm not sure what is going to happen as my outrage grows instead of subsides. For that matter - I really haven't had peace for five years.

: see Kristi1696 above in this thread. I feel a bit better knowing that there is a REAL reason for our stress levels and this is the place to come to help alleviate that a bit. I thank you and everyone else for your posts in my thread. It has helped with my understanding. I think a trip to the DU lounge is in order, one can always find a chuckle over there, that is a good thing.