Political anxiety & therapy thread

[fernweh]

Nov 4, 2024 18:00:59 GMT -5 circa1978 said:

I had a preemptive cry just now. IDK. My 72-year-old Italian Catholic but quietly pro-choice mom says that old ladies are going to save us. We have abortion on the ballot in our state, and she says they are NOT going back. She says it was the same in the 70s when the church said don't get birth control, and every woman she knew privately went and...got the pill. I really want to trust her on this but I keep flashing back to 2016 and it's hard to hope.

I read an article yesterday that very much agreed with you mom. It was about old women who remember a time before Roe, were horrified when it was overturned, and plan to show up for Kamala. I didn’t save it to share but I hope they are correct.

[underwaterrhymes]

Nov 4, 2024 19:32:55 GMT -5 TR said:

I don’t know why, but I did NOT expect to feel THIS level of anxiety.

Someone on Twitter said “I love how we are all like ‘YES KAMALA’ but we still have 2016 traumala,” and I feel that so hard.

[RoxMonster]

I have so many butterflies in my stomach tonight. I feel more nervous than I expected. I don’t know whether to be excited or terrified. I doubt I will sleep well tonight. Tomorrow I have a ton of work meetings so that will likely keep my mind off it until tomorrow night.

I remember in 2016, H was going to night school and had class Election Night. I kept drinking more as the returns came in and the writing was on the wall, sending him increasingly outraged texts. I was still teaching at the time and the next day was awful. I was hungover and so upset. I remember sobbing on my prep period.

[bdubs419]

I actually feel sick to my stomach and I am having major flashbacks to 2016. I don’t think my mind and body can handle that again. I just remember feeling so out of body. Crying hysterically and not sleeping at all. I’m praying we don’t need to go through that again.

I also live in a battleground state and I just know I’m surrounded by those who think the opposite of me. At least in the last election, I was surrounded by like minded people (we moved since). I think it would probably be wise of me to delete my social media accounts now so I don’t need to see obnoxious posts by all my horrendous neighbors.

I also kinda want to give my boss a heads up I may need to take a mental health day if things don’t go the way I hope. I cannot imagine functioning in that state.


Edited to add:
I also went through something horribly traumatic in college that makes me have all the ptsd feelings about abortion rights.
Makes me sick to think about. And even sadder when I hear that other women aren’t fighting for women’s rights.

[timorousbeastie]

Nov 4, 2024 18:00:59 GMT -5 circa1978 said:

I had a preemptive cry just now. IDK. My 72-year-old Italian Catholic but quietly pro-choice mom says that old ladies are going to save us. We have abortion on the ballot in our state, and she says they are NOT going back. She says it was the same in the 70s when the church said don't get birth control, and every woman she knew privately went and...got the pill. I really want to trust her on this but I keep flashing back to 2016 and it's hard to hope.

My sister, who lives in TX, is in her 50s but is in several groups full of women in their 70s/80s. She said the older women are absolutely fired up to do everything they can to make sure we are not going back. Fingers crossed all these older women are right!

[lucybrown]

I’m definitely feeling the 2016 feels. I told my therapist today that hope feels too scary. She said she has been hearing that a lot lately.

I just put a bottle of champagne in the fridge. I’m superstitious and terrified, but trying to choose hope anyway. This isn’t 2016. We’re not going back.

One foot in front of the other…and all the anxiety meds.

[sonrisa]

I’m not scared of going back to November 2016. I could face that if I had to.

I’m scared of moving forward on the 2017-Jan 2021 trajectory. That terrifies me.

[erbear]

Nov 4, 2024 18:26:32 GMT -5 meganew said:

Jumping on quick to let you all know that I’m at the Philly Kamala rally and I have absolutely no chance of getting in. The line for security goes all the way from the art museum almost to Love Park and wraps around multiple times back and forth- so many times that we couldn’t even find the end. We’re standing by a fence and hoping to hear her. It feels like the entire city is here and the vibe is GREAT.

I freaking love my city and I really really want this to go our way. Come on, us. We can do this.

[pugz]

women are outvoting men in KS by 10 percentage points.

[isabel]

Nov 4, 2024 21:56:24 GMT -5 pugz said:

women are outvoting men in KS by 10 percentage points.

It's anecdotal, but I have a team of 9 white women (self included). Two of us are in CO and one is in NE, but the rest are in KS and MO. Of the 9 of us, only one is potentially voting for Trump.

I really hope this stat is a good sign for KS!

[shauni27]

Just discovered that using the steam upholstery cleaner is the BEST ELECTION DISTRACTION. I will finish tomorrow night while I await results.

[AAM2012]

How the f did I end up on this candidates mailing list…I think someone signed me up as a joke.

[AAM2012]

I plan to go to orange theory after work and work out…just so I don’t break out the wine too early.

[mcsangel2]

Nov 4, 2024 23:50:26 GMT -5 AAM2012 said:

How the f did I end up on this candidates mailing list…I think someone signed me up as a joke.

Oh that’s some bullshit. There hasn’t been one single poll this whole election season that says she’s anywhere near Gallego.

[dglvrk2]

Nov 4, 2024 20:38:35 GMT -5 timorousbeastie said:

Nov 4, 2024 18:00:59 GMT -5 circa1978 said:

I had a preemptive cry just now. IDK. My 72-year-old Italian Catholic but quietly pro-choice mom says that old ladies are going to save us. We have abortion on the ballot in our state, and she says they are NOT going back. She says it was the same in the 70s when the church said don't get birth control, and every woman she knew privately went and...got the pill. I really want to trust her on this but I keep flashing back to 2016 and it's hard to hope.

My sister, who lives in TX, is in her 50s but is in several groups full of women in their 70s/80s. She said the older women are absolutely fired up to do everything they can to make sure we are not going back. Fingers crossed all these older women are right!

My mom, a former die-hard Republican, her friends and many of my high school friends' moms, all of whom are in their 70's, are voting blue. My mom says she remembers the pre-Roe years and never wants to see her granddaughters or grandsons' girlfriends have to face the challenges she had to. Go Boomer ladies! You're a force to get reconed with!

[agnes]

I’m just glad I’m on Zoloft for this election and wish I had it back in 2016.

[chedifuen]

I'm very very nervous and tearful. My dad died this summer and he fucking hated TFG. The last text he sent me was, "I wouldn't have missed." I so wish he could have voted. He was already hospitalized when Biden stepped down and he was so excited for Kamala.

I'm planning to wear my lucky "blue wave" sweater. I knit it in 2020 with yarn that was dyed and sold as part of a fundraiser for Biden. It bought us luck in 2020 and I think it'll bring us luck today.

[rubytue]

I wasn’t expecting this, but as I was driving home from the polling place, I was actually crying. I think it was that 2016 trauma coming out.

I came home and my friend was here, doing laundry (after walking my dog). We huge out a bit, but he eventually said he was leaving bc my anxiety was too much to take. I was a mess. After he left, I stress bakes two batches of scones. And ducked up the recipe twice 🤣

[mrsslocombe]

I very, very rarely cry and it's already starting. I don't know how I'm making it through tonight.