In the past few weeks, I have heard from clients, friends, family members, colleagues, and acquaintances that they are experiencing significant distress as a result of the current political events and announcements. I began to recognize this distress as acute stress injury, which can be a precursor for post-traumatic stress injury. This specific distress is connected to actions being taken by our government, which is an entity we all rely on for our safety and welfare. The nature and volume of shocking announcements and executive orders also adds to the sense of surrealism and unsafety. It makes sense that people would develop fear and anxiety when they feel they can no longer rely on their government to act in sane and stable ways.

To help people understand what is happening to them in reaction to this acute stress, and to get help if that is needed, I’ve developed the term of political acute stress injury (PASI). I’ve also created a new page on my psychotherapy site:  http://www.beverlyswann.com/practice-areas/political-acute-stress-injury-pasi/. This page gives a description of the condition along with many of the common symptoms.

I’m welcoming comments and feedback from other professionals as well as from people who are experiencing PASI. I believe a dialogue about how to recognize PASI and how to help ourselves and others would be very valuable.