Countdown before the election, "I can't eat or sleep well"? Beware of "Election Syndrome" with 8 Major Symptoms
January 13 this year (Saturday) coincides with the “three-in-one” election for president, vice president, legislators and political parties. If you are overly worried about the candidate you support losing, you may want to pay attention to the signs of “overwhelming” stress and anxiety? Dr. Yang Congcai, the director of Yang Congcai Clinic, once said in an interview that there was indeed a patient with “delusional disorder” in the clinic before, and his condition worsened due to the election.
Could crazy elections worsen mental illness? He had a paranoid attack and was so angry that he had “insomnia for a month”
Dr. Yang Congcai shared that the 50-year-old man was too involved in the election and forgot to take his medication on time, causing his symptoms to seriously worsen. The defeat of the candidate he supported made his condition even worse. “The patient was even convinced of conspiracy theories such as politicians manipulating the election and rigging votes. In a state of extreme anger and disappointment, he even claimed that he wanted to ‘seek justice’ for the candidates he supported.”
Dr. Yang Congcai said that the patient was eventually brought to the hospital by his family for severe paranoia; he was so angry that he “had insomnia for nearly a month.” Therefore, the top priority is to solve their sleep problems and alleviate the imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain. After the patient’s condition has initially improved after prescribed treatment, psychological treatment will be arranged to help him understand his disease. “We need to let the patients know that the election is only temporary. If you lose the election this time, just come back next time!”
What are the signs of electoral syndrome? Famous psychiatrists teach 4 tips to help reduce stress
Dr. Yang Congcai explained that election syndrome is an informal disease name; however, it has been clinically observed that voters or candidates are prone to anxiety, insomnia, emotional instability and other symptoms before an election because they are concerned about the election situation. “Just like when students fail to get into the school or department they want, the political party or candidate they support fails to win the election, which may cause too much stress to explode overnight!”
Dr. Yang Congcai further pointed out that clinical anxiety disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobia and “election syndrome” are different in degree. The symptoms of election syndrome are similar to “Adjustment Disorder”, and the symptoms usually gradually resolve as the stress is relieved (such as when the election is over).
The public is reminded that if they feel a sense of loss or stress after the election, cannot eat or sleep well due to the election results, or even have symptoms related to depression, they must go to a psychiatric department or seek psychological consultation to avoid affecting their daily life. In addition, during the general election, people can grasp the following four principles to help relieve anxiety and tension:
Be able to eat: Eat three regular meals in a regular amount, drink plenty of water to help metabolism, supplement nutrition in a balanced way to maintain the basic functions of the body, and taking good care of your physical condition can also help your mental health.
Be active: To develop a good habit of exercise, you can refer to the “333 principle” (exercise 3 times a week, 30 minutes each time, heart rate up to 130 beats per minute), moderate-intensity aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, Playing ball, etc. are all feasible measures, and the principle is to be slightly panting and sweating.
Able to sleep: In order to follow the election, many people stay up online to read news and follow current events, which can easily affect their sleep and disrupt their work and rest. Dr. Yang Congcai reminded that the human body’s golden sleep period is from 11 pm to 6 am, and people should avoid crazy elections that interfere with normal sleep time.
Able to laugh. Let yourself laugh out loud for more than 5 minutes every day, and you can also try to practice smiling. The method is to hold a pencil in front of the mirror and try to make your mouth appear U-shaped for at least 15 minutes. This will help the brain secrete “endorphins” and make your mood happy. In addition, chatting with relatives and friends, singing to express emotions, and participating in social activities can also help to laugh from the heart.
Work + election leave no place to vent stress? Psychologist: Don’t continue sitting when you get home from get off work!
If you usually accumulate stress due to work, school and other events, it is recommended to develop a regular stress-reducing habit to avoid a sudden explosion on the eve of the election. For this reason, psychologist Lin Renting previously pointed out in an exclusive interview that people can adjust their mood in a multi-faceted way through the following “5 relaxation tips”:
Physiological relaxation: Many people rely on overeating to relieve stress, which is actually very unhealthy for the body. Rather than eating without restraint, it is better to learn how to cook by yourself and improve your cooking skills. If it is too troublesome, you can also order delivery to support catering companies, but the portion size needs to be particularly controlled.
Psychological relaxation: There is no need to force yourself to learn new knowledge in your free time. When tidying up the room or cleaning the home, you can calm your mind, or simply do nothing to keep yourself away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world and achieve the effect of stabilizing your mood.
Relax your body: You can do simple exercises after meals and before taking a shower. If you don’t like sports, you should also keep “active”, such as playing cards and educational games with your family; get up and do stretching exercises when you are tired from work. If you don’t like to go out for exercise, you can also try the “fitness ring” which has become very popular in recent years, because new things can create a sense of freshness and the relaxation effect will be better.
Space to relax: If you go home directly after work on weekdays, or just stay at home to watch TV dramas and video games on holidays, you will inevitably feel tired. Therefore, you can go out more often to meet with friends, or go to open spaces. For example, being close to nature is a good way to heal.
Interpersonal relaxation: Being too close to family members may cause conflicts. You can choose to contact friends you have not seen for a long time. Choosing the most comfortable social way to interact with friends is a good way to relax.
Finally, Dr. Yang Congcai also called on the public to practice “abdominal breathing” 20 times each in the morning, noon, evening and before going to bed, or write a gratitude diary before going to bed to secrete the “happy hormone” serotonin, which helps Improve your mood and reduce the frequency of nightmares. Finally, if people experience unexplained tension, anxiety or even depression, whether before or after the election, it is recommended that they seek psychiatric treatment as soon as possible to clarify their symptoms.
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