Many Americans braced for election night chaos. That never came but dealing with the delayed election results has caused even more stress, according to many mental health professionals. Myke Merrill, D.Min., author of “Why Do People Act that Way? (And What Can I Do About It?),” says everyone is different, but there are some common ways we are reacting. He says, “One prevalent emotional response to the election and its results can be anxiety — a foreboding sense of risk and disaster. A second significant response, and possibly of greater issue, can be rage, all up and down the anger scale — a powerful desire to bring about change or get control.” Dr. Myke says people experiencing these two powerful emotional systems tend to be very vocal and active about professing and stressing their inner response onto anyone and everyone within range. He’ll also explain more common and subtler emotional responses to the election, which he says can be just as powerful and challenging to navigate. Dr. Myke Merrill was a panelist on the national television show “Ask the Pastor” for 18 years. Contact him at (585) 615-6383; myke@grippingreality.com
