Aequanimitas de Publicus

By Greg Ganske

October 31, 2024

My 95-year-old Mother is so stressed out by the coming election that she tosses and turns all night and can’t sleep. It is affecting her health. No wonder! She is being bombarded night and day with TV ads and programming that threaten doom and the end of the world if one or the other of the presidential candidates loses or wins. She is told incessantly that this is the “most important election of her lifetime. . .even, in our nation’s history” by both political parties to increase their base vote turn-out.

Her anxiety triggered my own memories of stressful events. In 1976 in the Denver General ER my finger plugged the gunshot hole in a victim’s heart while my more senior resident readied his needle holder and suture. As a chief resident in surgery, I remember the stress of putting a clamp on a VA patient’s pulsating, nearly bursting abdominal aortic aneurism. At stressful times like that it was necessary to think straight and act with control—to stay cool.

Sir William Osler

To encourage these traits, Sir William Osler wrote an essay later included in a book distributed to more than 150,000 graduating medical students. In Aequanimitus (1) openlibrary.org., Osler advocated that physicians develop two qualities of “imperturbability” and “equanimity” which he defined as “coolness and presence of mind under all circumstances.”

Two, possibly three, assassination attempts on one of our presidential candidates, and the heightened public anxiety these events  make equanimity vital to our candidates’ physical wellbeing, for our own mental health and to the health of the body politic. Emotions are too hot—we need to cool it!

My Mother is not alone in her fear for her children and grandchildren. More than 40% of Americans report signs of anxiety or depression and about the same number say the news and social media coverage of the election make them feel more anxious. (2,3) Psychiatry News May 1, 2024. 3) “Feeling Anxious? Understanding the Rise in Anxiety Disorders Among Young Adults,” Alyssa Hunt, Instagram.com, July 17, 2024.

Polls show that 60% are anxious about the presidential contest. 4) “Gen Z Adults and Younger Millenials are completely overwhelmed by stress.” Anna Medaris, American Psychological Association, Nov 1, 2023. 5) “Election-xiety? 2024 Presidential Race Is Seriously Stressing Americans Out,” Terry Collins, USA Today, July 11, 2024.

Anxiety affects young adults at a higher rate than older generations. Over 40% of adults aged 18-29 report symptoms of anxiety more days than not.) 6) “Politics Stressing You Out? Five Steps to feeling Better.” Harvard.edu, KGA, Inc. Women in this age group are twice as likely as men to develop anxiety disorder, while men tend to mask symptoms. Stressing Americans Out,” Terry Collins, USA Today, July 11, 2024.

Covid caused a 25% rise in anxiety according to the World Health Organization. (7) Adding election stress to Covid and all the usual causes of strife and worry at home and work has made it imperative to find ways to mitigate additional political anxiety. 7) “The impact of elections Stress: IS Political Anxiety Harming Your Health?” American Psychological Association, Zara Abrams, Oct 1, 2024. (8) 8) “Anxiety Has Really Increased Over the Past 10 Years—But Why?” Bethan Ackerly, New Scientist, April 3, 2024.

How do we manage the anxiety this election is causing?

First, take the long view. When politicians say that this is the most important election in history, it is—for those running! However, our country has had many important elections: George Washington decided not to run for a third term in 1796; the nasty1800 election resulted in the Louisiana Purchase; Jackson’s populism changed politics in 1824; the elections of 1860 and 1864 determined the Civil War; 1876 ended Reconstruction; 1932’s election started the New Deal; 1948’s allowed Truman’s full integration of the armed forces with the shift of the political South; in 1980 Reagan shifted politics to the right; Trump’s election in 2016 started the GOP on the road to the workingman’s party.

Contested presidential elections are not new, either. Losing candidates have claimed the election was “stolen” in 1823, 1876, 1912, 1960, 2000, 2016, and 2020.

A Washington Post article quotes Hillary Clinton in a CBS News interview three years after 2016 dismissing President Trump as an “illegitimate president” and suggested that “he knows” that he stole the 2016 presidential election. (Colby Ikowitz, Sept 26, 2019).

And yet, despite a riot at the Capitol, there has always been a peaceful transfer of power on inauguration day. And I expect a peaceful election and transfer of administrations again this year because the public will not tolerate another debacle.

As a physician I learned long ago that anxiety and stress can cause increases in blood pressure, weight gain or loss, depression, drastic mood changes, sleep struggles. How do we personally reduce anxiety and fears? Start by limiting how much time you spend engaging with political content. If it makes you feel anxious or depressed, stop watching so much CNN, MSNBC, or Fox. Program your smart phone to limit political content. Be aware how you talk about politics at home, work and with friends, especially as the Holidays approach. Don’t make assumptions about other people. It is not worth an irrevocable argument and losing family and friends.

Discuss but don’t argue politics, be open to learning others’ viewpoints and stay respectful. Don’t get angry. Arguments rarely change opinions. If the conversation gets heated, just step away.

Focus on what you can control. If you want to be more politically active, go for it. Study the issues and the candidates and volunteer to help campaigns. It will make you feel useful. If you donate to political candidates, though, expect a million additional solicitation calls and texts with annoying things on your phone.

These solicitations are designed by professionals to trigger your emotions and fears to entice you to donate more. They are designed to make you anxious.

Don’t let the coming election consume your waking thoughts. Take a walk, do other activities, have other interests. See people as complex people, not just members of a party you dislike. Unfortunately, we don’t have a vaccine for “candidate derangement syndrome.”

Finally, if Osler’s lessons on equanimity elude you and the stress and anxiety is overwhelming, recite the Serenity Prayer: ‘God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

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Greg Ganske, MD, Member of Congress (ret) is a retired plastic and reconstructive surgeon who cared for women with breast cancer children with cleft lips, farmers with hand injures and burn patients. He served Iowa in the US Congress from 1995-2003 when he returned to his private practice.

 

Comments 20

  2. And the portion of the serenity prayer that I think strikes to the heart of the issue;

    Taking this sinful world as it is and not as we would have it to be and trusting that Jesus will make things right in accordance with his will.

  5. The problem is in our electoral system. It’s all about money and media. That means the way to get attention is to get you angry or scared. It’s the Four Plagues: special interest money, big media, negative ads and extreme voices.

    The answer is to make money and media unnecessary. Make all elections tiny. Subdivide all congressional districts into 100 tiny ‘community districts’. Those 100 community representatives then meet and decide on the congressman who goes to Washington. The other 99 stay home.

    Voters get a chance to meet their community representatives and have a voice. Money and media is out of the equation – you don’t need them in a district of only 7,500 people.

    Unions, corporate interests, billionaires – lose their power. Voters are empowered. They have an incentive to learn the issues and good policy because they have a chance to impact policy through their local community representative.

    http://www.hearthepeople.org.

    1. Interesting, but the flaws about which you are concerned are inherent in that system as well. People are not particularly well-served when the decision-makers have so many layers between them and the people they are supposed to serve. Adding layers like that only frustrates the common man – he feels voiceless. No one of ‘consequence’, no one making the real decisions, is listening to him! He may not even know who they are. That’s the beauty of the system we have now….our Congressmen all have district offices and are reasonably accessible to Mr. & Mrs. Voter.

      The bigger problem is motivating the average citizen to get out and vote!!! To participate in the franchise. In the last Chicago election, out of almost 1.6 million registered voters, 319,481 voted for Brandon Johnson and he carried the day. There’s the problem.

    2. Sir, you just described the EU. How often would you revise those 100 sub-districts to reflect population shift? Where will the borders lie? Will my mini-district be 1/2 inner city and 1/2 suburban or rural? Will my interests be ignored by a plurality with a different agenda? How will those legislators be accountable to me when 99 others not accountable to me pick them?
      The system really isn’t broken, we are just passing through a long realignment that might last until 2028 or 2032. What follows the next few cycles and census realignment will be much more stable.

      1. It is interesting to see how many states with falling populations are the ones to whom the “immigrants” are being sent….to be counted in the next census. Another flaw in the system.

  6. Gifted cops and gifted doctors like Greg Ganske manage to maintain equanimity and grace in the toughest circumstances. I don’t have that gift, but do appreciate it in this insightful writer and his encouragement of civic civility through the current, TV-hysteria-based election.

    Let’s hope for the best. I’ll even try to imagine a congenial America if Kamala Harris wins the election, as her administration establishes a respectful dialogue with 75 million Nazi partisans.

  7. Greg,

    Thank you, what a wonderful thought for us as we celebrate the Halloween holiday. Let’s all enjoy the children and young families having fun, revel in the joy of putting on costumes and eating candy!

  8. For this election, we can only hope that Trump will soundly win, because I suspect a lot of voters who say they support the bizarre Kamala will actually vote for Trump. FACT: The actual puppet masters are the world bankers/Soros. There is a huge push as Scripture predicted for a one world government, which Obama has been pushing since he first came on the scene. These puppet masters are afraid of Trump, because unlike other “leaders”, they cannot control him.

  9. Well said Dr G. We all share two events, birth and death. Perhaps we wore fame and fortune in life or perhaps not. Maybe homeless or addicted or struggling with day to day life. In death we have the great equalizer. I’ve been around since Harry Truman’s time in office. As our country has grown the concept of one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all has diminished. Politicians want to be elected and do whatever pandering or fragmenting they can to get there, particularly on the left. How can our country be so equally divided as the polls suggest. Could there be another Civil War over politics and policy. Only God knows what the outcome will be this time next week. I’m afraid we might be parsing votes well into the weekend following the election. This nation has endured much. I am fearful for the nation if an assassin’s bullet were to reach Trump. At least Vance has a capability to guide. Kamala like Biden chose an insurance policy for a running mate. But WHY Kamala? Powers behind the curtain CHOSE her. No
    one talks about that now. Do not many on the left feel truly disenfranchised?
    Only God knows And only God and prayer can save us.

  10. Best wishes and good health to your mom Dr. Greg. Her anxiety is understandable since people of that generation received their news from newspapers and television. My dad is ninety, served during the Korean War is also part of that generation. These media sources were seen as nonpartisan and accurate sources of information. Most of their reporters served in the military during the wars. Gradually news media tried to appease changing demographics by hiring “activist” reporters like Geraldo Rivera. The war correspondents were replaced by the anti war activists and leftist graduates of our universities. This is why the media has become what it is: outlets for propaganda. A recent poll showed that THIRTY percent of Americans regarded these as reliable sources of information. The very people responsible for spreading “disinformation” now cry for government censorship to stop the spread of “disinformation”. These outlets have little credibility and the American public knows it. During the mid terms ABC News ran a commercial touting its “fair and impartial ” reporting. If this were true they wouldn’t have to remind us would they? Your mom, like my parents still look to these outliers as reporting stories unbiased and factually. Most of us baby boomers abandoned these propagandists a long time ago. The stress she is feeling is understandable since the outlets she once trusted regularly lie and distort facts to suit the narrative the Left wing media creates. These media outlets lie, open and straight faced, to the people that once trusted them. What disappointment….

  11. Regrettably the good doctor managed to try to create a false equivalence by equating how Trump has been treated for nine years to Ms. Harris treatment these past couple months. His expression? “candidate derangement sybdrome”. What? He knows that the only truly hated candidate is Mr Trump. Ms Harris has not experienced anything like the viscerally frothing-at-the-mouth hatred that Mr Trump has had to deal with including two attempts to murder him. Trump’s treatment for nine years running nowis the definitive symptom of true derangement.

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