Is anyone else here really, really stressed?

[lady raven]

I'm not "worried". Yes, there's that little niggling concern (Sorry) about election theft. But Obama's run such a fantastic campaign and I have every faith that he will win an honest election and probably even one that the GOP tries to steal.

BUT

I'm really stressed. I'm having a hard time concentrating on other things. I am reading DU every extra moment. Watching the news all the time. Sleeping like crap. I'm wound up, in pain from muscle tension, and just exhausted.

I have tried to stop and I don't think I CAN before the election. I know that after the election I'll be taking a break from all things political for at least a little while, but I find myself wishing November 4 would hurry the hell up so I can stop being a mental case. I'm so wound up that just the THOUGHT of the election being projected for Obama makes me cry!

Anyone else feeling this way?

[lapfog_1]

1. yes, I just found out that I'm layed off work tomorrow.

so, yeah, I'm stressed.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

2. Very sorry to hear that. :-(

[tblue]

3. I'm sorry, too!

Let us know if we can spread the word & find you another gig.

[lapfog_1]

10. I'm kinda highly specialized...

I write "systems level" code for storage systems. Micro-code. Operating System device drivers. That sort of thing.

Most of this work has moved to India or China now. This gig was with IBM working on their DS8000 (Shark) product.

Oh yeah, yesterday the VP for the division dropped by my groups status meeting to hand out poster celebrating the 10,000th customer (these systems sell for $250,000 to $500,000 each). Our last quarter was well over a billion (just for this product). I'm a contractor and they are cutting back some 100+ jobs at this location (Tucson).

Not much other high tech work here except Raytheon.

[pnwmom]

25. And yet the power-that-be keep trying to convince us that not enough

college students are majoring in computer science.

[Emit]

4. Ah, jeeze, lapfog_1, I'm so sorry to hear that

They only gave you one day's notice? That's horrible news.

[lady raven]

9. Oh, God...

That sucks. I'm so sorry. I hope that you find something better very soon!

[tedoll78]

13. Damn.

Sorry to hear that. Best of luck to you! :(

[City Lights]

27. So sorry to hear your awful news.

:-( Hope you find another job quickly. Best of luck to you. :hug:

[GrizzlyMan]

5. Start with 1 day

The day before, write down a bunch of things you can do. Go to a movie, do some work in the yard, read a good (non-political) book, go for hike, or a walk at your local park, catch up on household projects.

This is what I've done when I needed a break. It helps.

[tblue]

6. I am a different person right now

My life is so focused on this election (been waiting SO DAMN LONG to move on past B*shdom!!!!!). Yes, I am stressed. Not so much worried as kinda hyper-aware. Like my whole chemistry is altered or something. Weird.

The best thing for me now is hanging out with a friend who is equally obsessed, volunteering as much as I can, & giving all the $$ I can afford.

[tedoll78]

7. As far as we are apparently head..

I'm never too eager to believe that the American people have truly, actually smartened-up. 18 days is a long, long time. I'm convinced that the polls will indeed tighten, and that this will be another close finish. I see some talking about our ticket winning more than 300 electoral votes, and sometimes I get caught-up and think it might be believable.. but then I look out the window, see my fellow voters up-close, and laugh at the fact that I ever considered this a possibility.

Otherwise, I'm not too worried. I'm convinced that we'll win this time around. But it'll be closer than many think, and I won't be able to relax until Hawaii's 4 electoral votes are called for Barack Obama.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

8. Step away from the computer...

I know exactly what you're talking about! I think I've been this way since the Dem convention, but forced myself to somewhat pull the plug. Try to separate yourself from it at least a little bit each day: exercise, walks in the fresh air, bubble baths, a good (non-political) book, music, whatever helps you de-stress.

Of course, it's now 2:52 a.m. and I'm still logged on to DU and will probably sleep like crap. ;-)

[anigbrowl]

11. Take a day off. This level of obsession is unhealthy unelss you're being paid for it.

[crankychatter]

12. When I feel like that, I think of Ma Joad from the Steinbeck novel, Grapes of Wrath

I was googling trying to find the exact quote for you...

couldn't find it but here's one I did find...

"Rich fellas come up an' they die, an' their kids ain't no good an' they die out. But we keep a'comin'. We're the people that live. They can't wipe us out; they can't lick us. We'll go on forever, Pa, 'cause we're the people."

You need chocolate... a hot bath... a day at the beach... an hour along the river...

whatever it is you do

namaste'

[melody]

15. What a wonderful post. Thanks for making it. n/t

[AndyTiedye]

14. Totally

There's so much hate out there. They're going to do something terrible.

[im1013]

20. Exactly! That's where my brain's at.

It really has gotten to that point. I worry about that every time I watch all those crazies at the KKK/GOP rallies.
Of course, living right in the middle of millions of those crazies doesn't help.


:scared:

[VolcanoJen]

16. Nope. Obsessed a little, maybe, but not stressed.

Energized. Excited. I've been doing this political crap for a long time, and I've NEVER seen anything like the effort on the ground here in Ohio. This GOTV Campaign will be historic. Get involved, volunteer, and work off some of that nervous energy!!!

You'll love it... and it's the perfect cure. :-)

[fujiyama]

17. You're not the only one

I haven't felt this wound about an approaching event. I thought I was obsessive prior to the '04 election and thought it could never get worse, but here I am...

Wow, and I know what you're talking about re: difficulty sleeping and muscle pain. I have had even more difficulty than usual sleeping and I'm basically an insomniac as it is. Yesterday morning I got up feeling sick, having almost flu like symptoms. I took a doctor's appointment for tomorrow. Hopefully it's not the flu!

I just want this damn election to come and go, Obama sworn in, visit my friend in DC for the inauguration and take some time off from politics.

[potone]

18. Yes, this is agony.

Ever since the economy started crashing I have been feeling really stressed, and it keeps getting worse. I also have been spending too much time on DU the past couple of weeks. I think we are really in a crisis. I won't feel better until this election is over. God knows, that won't solve everything, but at least if Obama is elected with a Democratic Congress, we have some hope that help is on the way. I am going to try to do things this weekend to get my mind off of this, so that I can concentrate on work next week, and giving some time to the Obama campaign. Turning myself into a nervous wreck accomplishes nothing. I suggest that you also try to take care of yourself and put this aside for a couple of days.

[PerfectSage]

19. Yep I know how you feel.

It's the light at the end of the 8 year tunnel.

Now I'm feeling landslidey. So I don't worry.

[ClayZ]

21. Yes!

We took an overnight trip to our cabin on Tuesday! No TV no computers. I had to get a political fix and turned on the Radio to only be able to tune in RUSH LIMPBALLS. We listened for about 30 minutes, packed up and came home to watch the Debates.


Where the hell is Sarah Palin? There is no media coverage of her all week! We should be keeping an EYE on her I think.

She is scary as hell!

After watching McCain and Obama speak tonight I felt better just to see Obama laughing!

John McCain

Pt 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Goaj5V4tZoc

Pt 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrqoSyKsAPw

Barack Obama

Pt 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXKaAQ-6BiU

Pt 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkBQf4FJi-o

[Dulcinea]

22. Yes.

My employer of almost 20 years is trying as hard as it can to push me out. They don't want to fire me because that'll cost them money in unemployment compensation or a severance, so they're trying to bully and intimidate me into quitting so I get nothing. Ever since I went part-time, they have treated me like crap, & there's no one in management or HR who's on my side in this. I can't quit; like everyone else, I need to make a living.

So yes, I'm stressed, & the sleeping pills my dr. gave me for chronic insomnia don't work. I still wake up at 3-4 am every day.

And I do worry about this election, too.

:rant:

[blue-kite]

23. I suggest do some volunteering...

You may be already which is great but if not it will do two things:
1) Take your mind over being stressed about something out of your hands.
2) At the same time you're taking things into your hands by getting voters for Obama. I can't see the GOP able to steal more than a couple of % here and there.
Best to you
Cheers
BK

[OnionPatch]

24. I'm a little stressed because the election is so close, but I've been able to tone it down.

I was so depressed when Kerry lost (to thieves I'd like to clarify) that I can't let myself go through that again. I simply have to look at life through the lens of history and realize that people have lived through all sorts of bad times, worst than these, even. It won't be the end of the world (I have to hope) if McCain is elected. (Maybe it will be if he dies in office, though. ;)) I know things will be a whole lot worse for a lot of people, but I have done what I reasonably can do to elect Obama, so I'll live through what history brings us without being depressed and stressed out unnecessarily. If you're that stressed, I suggest (if you aren't working on the campaign or something) finding a really good book or some really long movies or going to visit your sister or whatever to kill some time and chill out. Whatever happens....you still have us. :hug:

[DeeDeeNY]

26. Me too, and volunteering has helped me

We've been out canvassing on weekends, making calls, and going to Pennsylvania for door-to-door. It is such a great feeling getting together with other Obama supporters and knowing that we are doing whatever we can. (As we were sitting in the local Obama office in Pa last weekend, getting our instructions and having refreshments, one of the other out-of staters exclaimed "Wow. This is like liberal heaven!!!" )
I don't think I could live with myself if the election turned out badly and I didn't feel I had done everything I could possibly do.

[H2O Man]

28. No, I'm not.

However, I can appreciate that others are.

Our brains are hard-wired in such a way that both "good" and "bad" experiences cause anxiety and stress. This is especially true in times of change. It is to be expected.

Coming to DU is a very good choice. There are other things that people should be doing, ranging from going for a walk in a quiet place, to reading good books.