Joe Simonson, DCNF
One Washington, D.C.-based therapist’s clients have 99 problems, and they all seem to be about President Donald Trump.
Elisabeth Joy LaMotte, a psychotherapist and founder of the DC Counseling and Psychotherapy Center, writes in The Washington Post that a number of her patients have been complaining that the media’s fixation on Trump is taking a toll on their personal lives.
One couple that she works with (who she names Sally and Steve) have been seeing LaMotte to “strengthen their communication and feel more connected.” It seemed like they were making real progress. That is, until Trump won.
She quotes Steve:
Sally and I value that our political views are compatible. We have always enjoyed discussing current events, and our careers relate to politics, as you know. I initially took comfort in the fact that we went through the shock of Trump’s victory together, but something has changed. Sally is constantly reading news updates on her phone and watching CNN, even in the middle of the night. It’s gone too far. It’s no longer something that connects us; it’s now a wedge between us.
Sally and Steve aren’t alone, apparently. LaMotte writes that this “dynamic” is one she’s seen “with other couples and individual therapy clients” she works with.
So, what’s fueling these issues? “Stress is, in my experience, increase — the stress associated with news consumption,” according to LaMotte.
“A surprising number of couples in therapy are fighting with each other about their respective modes of news consumption. These couples report less sleep, a growing sense of disconnection and less sex. And this includes couples where both members share the same political views,” she writes.
Her findings are backed by recent studies that show “increased levels of consumption of news” can compromise “emotional well-being over time.”
One of LaMotte’s clients complains that her boyfriend is “sick of me screaming at the television. I’ve started watching Fox to branch out of the so called bubble, and it’s all lies, I can’t stand it!”
Improved “sleep hygiene,” LaMotte writes, can help alleviate the stress associated with the constant onslaught of news updates. By 10 p.m., she prescribes, all screens should be off. After all, “losing the screens an hour or two before bed is conducive to better sleep and more sex.”
Of course, if you need to see a shrink because of a couple of Trump tweets, maybe you have more serious issues.
The Daily Caller News Foundation is working hard to balance out the biased American media. For as little as $3, you can help us. Freedom of speech isn’t free. Make a one-time donation to support the quality, independent journalism of TheDCNF. We’re not dependent on commercial or political support and we do not accept any government funding.
For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
- The Florida candidate laser-focused on eradicating horrific animal crimes - March 22, 2024
- Sabo: ‘Rush was our GOAT, there was no equal and he made it look easy’ - February 18, 2024
- Dana Bash appears to want to crawl out of her own skin when Ramaswamy ‘goes there’ on J6 - December 7, 2023
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
BPR INSIDER COMMENTS
Scroll down for non-member comments or join our insider conversations by becoming a member. We'd love to have you!