Protect Yourself From the Asteroid (Or Election) That Just Hit You
Depression and anxiety are vulnerable to life’s unexpected and distressing events
The results of the election and the results on me
It is only two days since the election. It was really important to me. I thought it was a done deal.
Now I can barely get out of bed. When I do, it is because I am so anxious, that stillness is impossible. My sleep is interrupted with sweaty nightmares. When things went south, I got slammed. I feel terribly depressed and gripped by anxiety.
When I shake off the fear, I realize that my nightmare is a waking one. My chest feels heavy, and my gut is churning. My heart beats hard, even with my worthless meditations and breathing exercises. I’m sleepwalking, but still in pain.
Self-diagnosis
Automatically, I diagnose these feelings and their catalysts. They have clinical names like bipolar, depression, panic disorder, anxiety disorder, and PTSD. “Oh God, I’m getting depressed. It’s descending on me like a freight train and scattering me like a tropical storm. And there’s nothing I can do about it!”
