Constable: Americans still have stress, even with hope and healing
The peaceful transition of power took place Wednesday during a devastating pandemic with outgoing 45th President Donald Trump's departure accompanied by the Village People's "YMCA" and incoming 46th President Joe Biden taking the oath of office in a sparsely populated military zone lined with barbed wire, armed soldiers and mask-wearing dignitaries.
In our 244th year of democracy, some Americans are consumed by fears that a Satanist-pedophile cult wants to turn our nation into a Communist state. Other Americans are obsessed with the idea that an evil cabal of white-power Nazis are gearing up for Civil War 2.0. Others firmly believe that Republicans and Democrats are identical pawns under the direction of a greedy oligarchy.
It's all so stressful. But relax. There is no such thing as PSD, political stress disorder.
"No, it's not a real thing - because we can't diagnose it," says Dr. Damir Utrzan, manager of mental health services with the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, which has a center in Chicago. Doctors apply strict diagnostic criteria before labeling such an ailment.
Just because we don't have PSD doesn't mean we aren't suffering mental health issues.
"It's a trifecta - economic insecurity, social and political instability, and the pandemic," Utrzan says. "We've gone about a year now dealing with all three."
Having one of those issues doesn't give you immunity from the others. Quite the opposite.
"They have a cascading effect," Utrzan says "The shift in one leads to a change in another."
History, hope and a call for unity to "end this uncivil war" dominated Biden's speech. Vice President Kamala Harris, a daughter of immigrants, scored her own trifecta by becoming the first woman, the first African American, and the first Asian American to hold that office. Then she swore in new Black, Jewish and Latino senators. Biden signed executive orders about immigration, climate change and healthcare. Jeans-wearing Garth Brooks, Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez nailed their performances. Poet Amanda Gorman, 22, told us, "There is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it."
Does all that mean life is returning to normal?
"First and foremost, I would question, 'What is normal?'" Utrzan says. "I think people will still be on edge because there is no clear answer. People want answers. That's part of the issue. There are no answers."
Growing up in Illinois and graduating from Rockford University and Northwestern University before getting his doctoral degree and doing his postgraduate fellowship at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Utrzan adapted to what some people call the "new normal." He had to move his wedding date because of the pandemic, and then downsized the event to accommodate the virus. We never really have control over what happens in our lives (bad things happen to good people, accidents, diseases, dumb luck), but that seems painfully obvious these days.
Studies show a 14% to 30% increase in anxiety and depression in the past year, Utrzan says. That can lead to destructive behavior.
"We drink alcohol because we're anxious. We're also anxious because we drink alcohol," he notes.
Counseling and therapy are healthier ways to deal with our issues. We can't ignore them.
"It's important to recognize that feeling all this is normal," Utrzan says. No matter where you find yourself in the economic, political or health issues, it's best to focus on the day-to-day or even the minute-to-minute, he says. Talking to others can help.
"We all know people on the opposite side who we can sit down with and have a conversation," Utrzan says. "Humans have this incredible ability to be resilient. We also have to recognize the inherent qualities that we have as humans that connect us rather than separate us."