Politics Makes Us More Depressed. Let’s Figure Out Why and What To Do About It.

As America goes to the polls for the midterm elections and balances hope and fear and general agitation as a result, we take a look at what politics and political rhetoric affect your depression levels, whether you deal with major depressive disorder or just encounter a feeling of hopelessness in the face of the contemporary political reality. Political Scientist Christopher Ojeda from University of California, Merced is the author of The Sad Citizen: How Politics Is Depressing and Why It Matters. He says, “We feel depressed whenever we experience some kind of irrevocable loss,” and while that might happen with the death of a loved one or a breakup, elections can fit the bill as well. Those feelings can be compounded if there are political divisions within a family as the idea of mutual support and caring can feel violated, even more so among more intensely fought races and, frankly, in America where almost all elections are winner take all. Christopher offers insight on political depression and the most effective ways to mitigate it.

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