2 weeks Ago
“Exhausted.” That's how Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly summed up how he believes voters are feeling about how politics is affecting society. The Republican sheriff said his deputies have not really dealt with many calls arising out of political disputes.
But the tension exists, he said. And he hears it from the residents, he added. “People are just tired,” he said.
“I saw it in running in my election. They are tired of the bickering and weary of candidates making promises that deep down they know they are not going to keep.” Randi Smith, a professor and clinical psychologist at Metro State University, said politics can hurt a person’s mental health and, in extreme circumstances, physical well-being.
As politics becomes more divisive — from the presidential race to the local city council and school board elections — Smith said it’s the voters and citizens who feel the pressure. And it hasn't helped that some political combatants are describing the stakes in this year's presidential contest in apocalyptic terms. Smith said the world is saturated with politics, noting the 24/7 news cycle and social media, and many residents may feel there is no way to get a break.
The constant exposure has led some Americans to grow more anxious, stressed, and worried about what November’s outcome will mean for the country, she said. The drama surrounding the 2024 presidential election drama provides no reprieve, as voters grapple with how they feel about two assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump, who is running on the Republican ticket. For Democrats, voters saw current President Joe Biden drop out of the race after a dismal debate performance, only to be replaced by Vice President Kamala Harris.
Before any of these major developments, American adults were already growing more anxious. In May, the 2024 American Psychiatric Association’s annual mental health poll showed that 43% of adults said they felt more anxious than the previous year. In breaking down the data, 70% of the adults said they felt particularly anxious because of current events, 77% pointed to economic worries and 73% said the U.
S. elections were a major source of stress. Smith said it’s hard not to worry about the country's future, with some regularly telling American voters that, if they choose wrong this fall, “democracy will be lost” or the country-as-they-know-it will cease to exist.
This kind of campaigning does nothing to help an already-stressed society, Smith said. “When people are, you know, so convinced that it’s this life-or-death situation, describing an apocalyptic kind of situation, the stakes to mental and physical health are pretty high,” Smith said. Timothy Kubik, the Democratic chair for Larimer County, said citizens are engaged in politics these days in two ways.
First, some talk politics with friends and neighbors and may post political signs in the yard to “relieve some stress." Then, there are those who “feel deeply that one side or the other’s policies would help, or hurt, them or something they care about,” Kubik said, adding this group tends to relieve stress by taking action through their political party. In Larimer County, Kubik said social media has contributed to a lot stress and anxiety for the Democratic volunteers.
“It’s not much different than the political rumor mill that goes around in emails or social conversations,” he said via email. “With a lot at stake, rumors or posts travel fast. If anything is different in the last few years, it's both sides calling the other side evil, crazy, or un-American.
I am constantly reminding Dems that our opponents are neither. Both sides start with different premises and then reason from them in much of the same way. If people can remember this, we can down the stress and tackle the issues.
” State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Republican in District 23, said she has heard firsthand how voters feel election stress. “The major issue we have are all the social media platforms where people tend to overshare,” she said.
“As a lawmaker, I don’t feel stressed out. I knew what I was getting into. I think it’s important for those in leadership to tone (the rhetoric) down.
” Kirkmeyer said extreme views are not new, recalling how everyone acted during Y2K, thinking the world would end or all the computer systems would shut down. None of which happened. “Everybody does just need to calm down,” she said.
“If you really look at all those online comments criticizing everything — it’s usually the same people. There may be 80 comments on a post, but really, it's like five people arguing with each other.” Smith said divisive politics is seeping into everyday life, causing friendships todisintegrate, public arguments and other worrisome trends.
Describing her own experience, Smith said a couple of her friends were getting together for golf. One of the women was wearing a pin supporting Trump. Smith said the other woman asked her if it would be OK to ask her friend to take the pin off because it supports a candidate she does not like.
Smith said she, “of course,” told her no, but she was not surprised by the question. “That’s not how we should be engaging with people,” she said. “By disparaging and disapproving and, you know, telling them they are wrong and they’re stupid and they’re off base.
And so I wish I had a better answer about how we as a culture, nation, and society can get back to respectful discourse.” Smith said it's disheartening because democracy works through discussion and communication. “It’s through seeking understanding.
It’s through the convergence of differing viewpoints,” Smith said. “And now, it just seems like we’ve become so polarized. I don’t know how to fix that on a cultural level, but on an individual level, I think what we need to do is encourage people to remember, first of all, that it’s not a life-or-death situation and that engaging in that kind of thinking is not good for you, your mental health, your physical health.
It’s not good for the people you encounter.” Weekly said while there have not been many calls specifically over political disputes, his deputies have stepped up security for political events that may become contentious. Most of the information comes from social media, Weekly said, noting that more deputies are dispatched when more comments and threats are made.
While it may seem simple, Smith says people must “take a break” from constant news coverage and social media. “I would recommend you limit Twitter (X) to 30 minutes or something,” she said. “It comes down to seeing if we can take a social media and even a mainstream media diet.
” Smith said people obsessed with politics should consider “fasting.” She explained that by removing themselves entirely and doing other things they might enjoy, the break might help them gain some reasonable perspective. “I know it’s pretty hard to do a total media fast right now because we are getting so close to the election,” she said.
“But I think if people can recognize that it does not make them feel good, and it only ramps up fears — it could be time to take a break.” As a lawmaker, Kirkmeyer said she regularly takes a break from the “golden dome,” referring to the state Capitol. She explained that as a lawmaker and citizen, she becomes more centered by going out into the public and talking to residents who provide a different outlook than what is described through online bickering.
Smith said it is essential for those citizens worried that the upcoming election's outcome will cause “irreparable harm” to remember that “our nation functions on a lot more than one human being at the top.” Kubik said he turns his phone off between 8 p.m.
and 8 a.m. “I’ve been doing this for 16 years, so I’m just used to it, or maybe jaded,” he said.
“Managing 14 campaigns in my county stresses me out, but I trust the process.”.
