Some psychologists said they've witnessed particularly high levels of anxiety in patients expressing concern about the presidential election, reported Reuters.
The publication interviewed seven therapists in six states and Washington, D.C.,and found that while some patients aren't thrilled about seeing Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton win the presidency, most are concerned about what would happen if Republican candidate Donald Trump won.
Patients said they experienced difficulty sleeping, irritability and heart palpitations in response to watching election coverage.
"I've never seen this level of stress and anxiety over an impending election in my 26 years [of practicing]," said Nancy Molitor, PhD, a clinical psychologist in Wilmette, Ill.
Philip Muskin, PhD, a professor of psychology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, said his patients' anxiety levels reminded him of the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001 or when Earth of America's first space station Skylab crashed in 1979 — "things where, for everybody, the sense of control is gone," he said.
The psychologists said they instruct patients to reduce their exposure to the news, use breathing exercises and practice yoga to reduce election anxiety, according to the report.
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