Other Coping After The Us Election.

[hodge]

Thanks, @joeylittle. I hope everyone abides by the guidelines.

Personally, I'm still shell shocked.

No watching or reading the news. When the TV's on, it's set to a classical music station.

I made a nice big salad a little while ago that will hold us for a few days. In a little while I'm going to make my homemade potatoes au gratin (cause I was too exhausted to yesterday).

I'm just trying to keep myself busy with productive things and not think about the outside world. I am just not ready to deal with it.

I feel like I'm instinctively going into some kind of survivalist homebody mode, sprucing up the nest, making food, playing with the cats, feeling the comfort of being secure in our own house, as when there's a huge snowstorm.

 

[Gs172003]

I'm not sure how I feel about all this. But..it's done. Now it's time to move forward until next election and.....

Y'all vote for me. Ha! Just kidding!

 

[lostforgottensoul]

I'm just trying to keep myself busy with productive things and not think about the outside world. I am just not ready to deal with it.

I think that's a good way to cope. Distraction. At least for the first few weeks after.

I have taken a very large step back and that helped a lot.

 

[hollygolightly]

i just want to isolate. i don't want to put on a happy face. i am not sure i will be able to sleep.

 

[hodge]

I'm isolating, too, and so is my husband. I think that's okay. At least for now it's certainly better than lashing out at somebody who's happy today.

 

[Sideways]

I'd like to say I'm doing healthy distraction rather than avoidance, but actually I've just shut down.

It feels a lot like all the men who have abused me (2 in particular) - I'm kidding myself. Clearly what they did to me was either no big deal (at best), or socially totally acceptable. Appropriate even.

It goes beyond invalidation - all the old beliefs about what I deserve and what's appropriate treatment of me by men have gone into overdrive. Totally cognitively distorted, but it's like millions of people just said, very publicly "what happened to you Ragdoll was totally appropriate".

While I can see that my way of interpreting the situation has left the realm of reality, I'm really struggling to throw my usual cbt stuff at it. @EveHarrington - I hear you. I don't have any answers right now, other than we keep breathing, keep challenging our thoughts, and give it time.

 

[hodge]

I know exactly how you feel, @Ragdoll Circus. I know how hard I worked over the years to accept that I did not deserve it.

Here's a thought that might help: I'm sure not everyone who voted this way thinks that behavior is acceptable. I suspect many are in denial about it. It's easy for some people to be in denial about this kind of thing. Just think of how many of us have had family members who wouldn't believe.

It will never be acceptable. Period. End of story.

 

[watundah]

I have always been interested and engaged in politics. However, we now have four years not of a politician but a perpetrator. He has cast forth so much negativity and evil, I cannot find peace in watching what happens. My wife and I just got married last year after 20 years together and I fear that law will be undone. I am not sure where one draws the line between politics and support here but I fear. That is one thing for sure. I also want to isolate. I have been a participant in the process but now I see 8 years of growth and positivity turning sour and I am saddened. It is hard to not be depressed in spite of messages of wait and see. My heart hurts. I walked in the sun today and considered how nature is a comfort to me. I think I need to spend as little time as possible staying involved in current events in an effort to maintain good mental health..such the antithesis of what our democracy is supposed to represent. I will join others in avoidance and denial in order to get through it. Sticking my head in the sand now.

 

[aut555]

So sorry to all the posters here including myself who suffered abuse, no, none of us deserve this for any reason. Females on the planet do not deserve what is dumped on them by any person, organization, family, friend, religion, no, we don't . Sendinga giant group hug if allowed.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

:hug:s for all!

Framing things differently has helped me a bit too. But that's just me.

 

[scout86]

A friend offered to help me get my concealed carry permit awhile back. I've been waffling because of a couple friends who used handguns to kill themselves. I've kind of decided to go ahead and get it. Obviously, we live in a country where it's ok to attempt to victimize people. I figure if those are the rules then it's only reasonable that you also be able to defend yourself and others.

Beyond that, I'm ramping up the rainy day fund because a Republican administration frequently leads to a recession and who knows what else we might get this time. I guess I find it helpful to engage in what I think of as 'preparing'. (It might really be feeding into hypervigilance, but there you go.)

 

[Crystal Rose]

Does anyone else just feel completely numb following this election?

I worked on a state assembly race in Wisconsin for the last six months. I had started working at a renewable energy company and my boss was asked to run by the Democratic Party and she's honestly one of the smartest, most passionate people I've ever met. She has inspired me beyond belief.

I felt lucky enough to have therapy today to talk about denial and deception and honestly I wasn't a Hillary fan, but I most certainly wasn't a Trump fan. I feel like I'm watching so many people cry and wail and all I can think about is how numb I am and how I'm adding this to the big pile of sh*t that's already been dealt to me.

Maybe it's all the blame and hate and of course I'm hearing about my privilege from my west coast friends but all I care about is listening to my neighbors and making connections with people. This is what we've been dealt. I've been so invested in our democracy but also don't trust anyone.

I guess I'm just here to tell others that you don't have to be told how to feel or what to feel. I'm sad that there's judgement stemming from the pain of so many people. I can't let fear have a hold on my life. I still feel very little. I guess I just want to know I'm not alone in my numbness.