A NATION IN DISTRESS

It’s no secret that the US is going through a difficult period. Every day, the news reports on events highlighting one glaring fact: America is in tremendous emotional distress.

Written by DAVID CHRISTEL

Has anyone taken America’s temperature lately? Anyone notice how many people are struggling psychologically from the non-stop onslaught of traumatizing, hateful, angry, manic, hurtful, over-stimulated, self-centered, entitled, myopic, selfish, paranoid, pretentious, arrogant, disrespectful, dishonest, self-serving, and narcissistic behavior that’s overtaken US society?

Of course, one could say that humanity has always been this way, but it seems that with the advent of technology, all of the above has been heightened to an extraordinary degree. Coupled with the recent pandemic, destructive violence both verbal and physical, and how so many

“leaders” in all arenas have been behaving, it’s clear that the country has become overrun by psychologically aberrant people.

Stress and anxiety permeate American society, something that most people are unable to emotionally address effectively. Research statistics on stress are eyeopening with significant sources of stress for people being:

• 78% – coronavirus pandemic

• 68% – the political climate

• 66% – health issues

• 65% – uncertainty in our nation

• 63% – the economy

• 62% – mass shootings

• 59% – police violence toward minorities

• 55% – climate change/global warming

• 51% – suicide rates

• 47% – immigration

• 47% – widespread sexual harassment/assault

• 45% – opioid/heroin epidemic

Since the onset of the pandemic, 19 percent of adults report that their mental health is worse while 70 percent state that family responsibilities are a significant source of stress and 49 percent state that stress has had a negative impact on their behavior.

All of these stressors are pushing people to act and react in ways they normally would not. Anger and frustration are in high evidence as Americans struggle with nation- wide issues that are ripping the country apart by the seams. Most notably is the rise in narcissistic behavior at every level of society. Narcissists have always existed, but now they’re coming out of the woodwork. The US, arguably the most visible of countries in the world, has been demolishing the boundaries of decency and dignity with an “anything goes” attitude toward everything. People, especially younger generations, aspire to ever-lower levels of communication and behavior that do nothing to uplift and evolve humanity. Instead, “influencers” of all ages and at every level of society do everything possible and more to garner attention, money, fame, and power. All of this supports the narcissistic tendencies of Americans.

Narcissists are all about themselves and they have an extraordinary ability to read people, to size them up as either someone they can use for their purposes or not. They’ll butter up a person or group and hook them into believing they’re special, indispen- sable, brilliant, and even the love of their life. Nothing could be further from the truth.

A narcissist will use people in whatever way they can to do one thing: support the narcissist’s wants, agendas, and selfimportance. The narcissist wants total loyalty, adulation, and obeyance. If they don’t get it from a person, they’ll begin denying the individual affection and attention and criticize them incessantly. If that doesn’t work, then they’ll demean and gaslight the individual, fabricate lies and stories about them, throw them under the bus, stab them in the back, and disavow any connection with them. Sound familiar?

It should because the US has been grappling with the demands and egomaniacal behavior of narcissists in high-level positions in all fields for many years, most specifically in business and politics. It’s been a non-stop circus of over-the-top personalities lying, denying, avoiding, spreading conspiracies, legislating, and making life a living hell for millions of people.

And American citizens have had to weather the aftermath of these narcissists’ behavior and actions. Narcissists lack compassion and really don’t care what happens to a person or group and they won’t take the blame. Instead, they’ll point the finger at someone or something else. It’s never them.

Helping to increase the spread of narcissism is advancements in technology. People have now become obsessed with apps and the ability to proliferate texts, pics, and videos of themselves in order to gain attention from faceless followers and fans around the globe. Those people are only as real as their “likes” and matter only if they can advance a celebrity’s or influencer’s visibility and fame.

Americans are caught in a tidal wave of competing narcissists and the minions they’ve captured with their silky-tongued verbosity, their promises, their deceptive interest in people’s wants and needs. Consequently, stress levels have skyrocketed amongst Americans. Sadly, few have the skills needed to ameliorate this stress, to see through the narcissist’s plots and machinations, to remain steadfast in their own individuality and strength.

The only way out of this mess is to do some personal research into:

Narcissism: becoming familiar with the types of narcissism, recognizing it in someone else, learning ways to avoid being pulled into a narcissist’s orbit, and learning how to extricate oneself if already in a relationship with a narcissist.

Stress: recognizing the signs of debilitating stress and learning healthy ways in which to moderate and relieve it.

With all the “wokeness” going on, Americans need to get woke to the fact of what’s really going on. What the country is going through needs to be approached in the same way a therapist would a patient enmeshed with these issues: call out what’s happening, help them own up to and face their distress, learn ways of effectively dealing with it, and finding positive and supportive ways to handle stress as it crops up.

Granted, there are those fanning the flames of this nation-wide distress. Their fame and fortune depend on it. But it’s time to put a stop to their shenanigans, their selfserving agendas, and their self-aggrandizement. It’s time to stand up, say, “Enough is enough!” and get America back on a track of mutual appreciation, respect, support, trust, compassion, cooperation, dignity, and heart.

Americans need to take seriously the amount of stress they’re continually under, what’s called “permastress” and transform it into permapeace. That may sound silly, but what that means is putting more attention and intention on healthy physical and mental behaviors that promote joy and contentment and that will lead to one thing Americans are despite tribulations: resilient! ●

The stress of living everyday life is beginning to take its toll on many Americans.