[WhiteClouds]

Is it possible the news, politics lead to depression? The more I look at the laws, bills passed. The more I see people blindly following and it seems like we have no voice anymore. It is very depressing. I mean today I caught myself crying because I'm so sick of this country & the direction it's going. Am I the only one?

[Sam2]

Originally Posted by WhiteClouds

Is it possible the news, politics lead to depression? The more I look at the laws, bills passed. The more I see people blindly following and it seems like we have no voice anymore. It is very depressing. I mean today I caught myself crying because I'm so sick of this country & the direction it's going. Am I the only one?

Politics can be frustrating and leave you with a feeling of the country in a downward spiral. That being said, that sort of depression is usually short lived unless you are obsessed with politics. Wild guess, but it sounds like something else is going on and reading about the state of things pushed you over the edge.

I'm not a political hound myself for some of the same reasons. Elections have become not so much voting for the best person, but rather the lesser of two evils. I dont' think that most candidates go into elections telling lies. I think they truly believe that they can do what they say, but in reality, there is very little a president can do on his own. I'm sure they are disillusioned to an extent themselves. Look at them from when they are elected to the year their term is up. Most look like they have aged prematurely.

If politics is a trigger for you right now, it might be a good idea to let that slide for a while. We should know what is going on in our country, but there is little you can do on a day to day basis. Its not worth making yourself miserable like that. The country does have a lot of problems, but would you want to live in any other country? At least we don't have to worry about being dragged away and tortured without a charge or reason. My guess is that every preceeding generation had similar thoughts. The country used to be better.

Sam2

[GreyThinker]

you are absolutely not the only one!!! As part of my studies last semester, I had to do some work on politics and economics.... and I felt physically and mentally ill the whole time. I have never been so depressed and close to wanting life to just end as I did back then. It has made me realise that whatever I do after studying, I never ever want to get involved in something political. I agree that it must be really hard for those who go into power hopeful of making helpful changes who after a while must feel like they are just getting nowhere. I really don't believe modern politics or economics has much to commend it, but there are no solutions at present that people are willing to take up. I agree with Sam2 that if you are feeling particularly sensitive to current issues, best to put your head down and just deal with life as it is at the moment. I suspect that one day it will all come to a crisis and then some things will change, but until then we just have to cope.

[Hellion]

Originally Posted by WhiteClouds

Is it possible the news, politics lead to depression? The more I look at the laws, bills passed. The more I see people blindly following and it seems like we have no voice anymore. It is very depressing. I mean today I caught myself crying because I'm so sick of this country & the direction it's going. Am I the only one?

It bothers me to, I mean I can hardly think of recovery because I don't see how I am supposed to recover from mental illness living in this society. So I try to find ways of accepting that and trying to figure out how to live my life and such..but its hard to find much support for that approach or maybe I just don't word it right. I think my therapist finally understand why I feel hopeless about life and that its more than simple thoughts and feelings.

But yeah I am not too happy about it either, and I don't think it helps with my mental health. Especially when there's stigma towards mental health issues and the governments trying to figure out who to screw with the spending cuts when they could maybe cut some of the funding out of things that aren't essential not things like food stamps, SSI or medicaid.

[WhiteClouds]

I'm a Political Science major. I noticed during the election season that seemed to never end, I was becoming irritable. Then I noticed I began to be turned off with people in general. Doing something as basic as listening to their point of view became intolerable. I guess a part of this is I have a problem with anyone being ignored. I feel as if the American people are being ignored & TOLD what they should, shouldn't do or have. I do feel politics at this time defies logic and what is logical or sensible isn't an option. On top of that your dealing with a very superficial idea of political supporters. Hostile, angry, mean spirited people who insist on being heard while ignoring others.
I'm considering changing my major. Not because I don't believe in the political process. I simply have lost faith in the people we are supposed to represent. How can you adequately represent people who have no clue what they're to expect, accept of a political leader. They're expecting a Savior opposed to leadership. Unrealistic..
I do realize I now have a very dark perception of people.

For quite a few years I would be watching the local 10:00 PM news. About a couple of years ago I stopped watching it. I thought I would miss it but I don't. It seems like when I was watching it, there was one story after another about murders and/or just about someone doing wrong to someone else. It didn't cure my depression just that alone, but it sure helped a little bit when I stopped watching the news.

I don't like to discuss politics that much. Even if I agree with what the others have to say. So many times it's about how the political party (Democrat or Republican) is doing right (the ones that the individual side is on) and how the other party is completely wrong. The part that gets me is the negatives about how the other party is doing wrong.

I feel that there are four general topics that should never be discussed amoung others (unless you know for sure that the other person would agree).
They are politics, religion, sex, and health issues. I know that I am very guilty of discussing health issues because that's my biggest concern for me since I have health anxiety.

[GreyThinker]

I have friends who never watch the commercial news. They skim the internet news services and read articles they are interested, so they do not miss out on important things, but it saves them having to listen to stuff over and over, especially with the way the news services overdramatise things, and one can never really believe that what they report is unbiased anyway.