Are You Heading For an Election Meltdown?

Some Experts Predict Epidemic of Post-Partisan Depression

WebMD Feature

Nov 2, 2004 -- Regardless of the outcome of the 2004 presidential election, polls suggest that as many as 49% of Americans may now feel a profound sense of loss or even deep-seated anger.

A high voter turnout was expected this election, and the stakes may never have been higher. You are either for President Bush or you are against him. The same holds true for Sen. John Kerry and the issues of the war in Iraq, guns, abortion, gay marriage, and stem cell research.

"There are a lot of folks that have gotten very, very involved and believe that the direction of our country is at stake, and many people that could have very acute reactions to the election results," says political leadership coach Donna Zajonc, a former Oregon state representative and mental health nurse.

"I do believe that there will be a psychological effect that can be long-term if not dealt with," says Zajonc, author of The Politics of Hope: Reviving the Dream of Democracy.

But turning off the television, spending time with friends and family, and eventually getting involved with the issues that matter most on a grass roots level can help stave off any lasting effects, experts tell WebMD.

Intense Election, Intense Reaction

"The intensity and polarization in this election almost feels like the 1960s and the Vietnam era, except that in the 1960s, you never saw bumper stickers saying, 'Anyone but …,'" agrees Robert R. Butterworth, PhD, a psychologist at International Trauma Associates in Los Angeles. "A significant number of people are going to be pissed and that anger can turn to cynicism and uninvolvement."

"We have gotten people riled up, and the bases have been energized and the opposite of energized is depression," he adds.

The closeness of this year's election may further intensify the situation, he says.

"If you are not backing a candidate that is leading in the polls, you are psychologically prepared [to lose], but the dead heat in this election adds a cliffhanger aspect, which means that when we do fall, we will fall hard," Butterworth says.

Another drawn-out election can also make things worse for millions of Americans who are so vested in the outcome of this election.

"My dad always told me that if I had a tooth that bothered me, I could wiggle it or I could tie a string to the tooth and to a door and slam the door to pull it out, and my feeling is always let's get the pain over with as quickly as we can and not prolong things," Butterworth says.

Sore Winners Breed Really, Really Sore Losers

"If winners say 'ha ha' and rub salt in the wound, that can also cause problems especially where people work," he says. Regardless of who wins, Kerry and Bush must come together, he says. "The problem with the last election is that this didn't happen because Vice President Al Gore was fighting tooth and nail with Bush," he says. "The leaders have to show people how to react."

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