"Lowercase trauma," identity crises epidemical in D.C. as Donald Trump readies to move to town

D.C.-area psychotherapists say the thought of Trump's impending presidency is causing some "to rethink their lives"

Published December 20, 2016 8:56PM (EST)

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the Orlando Amphitheater at the Central Florida Fairgrounds, Friday, Dec. 16, 2016, in Orlando, Fla.  (AP)
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the Orlando Amphitheater at the Central Florida Fairgrounds, Friday, Dec. 16, 2016, in Orlando, Fla. (AP)

Soon to be the world's most powerful baboon, Donald Trump may be inadvertently fulfilling his campaign promise to "drain the swamp," as his election is causing D.C. dwellers "to rethink their lives and the reasons that brought them to Washington in the first place."

According to The Washingtonian, some D.C.-area psychotherapists have seen an increase in patients suffering "lowercase trauma" at the thought of Trump's impending administration.

Per The Washingtonian:

"This election is . . . causing people to question fundamental beliefs they had about the world. The administration was going to turn over in January regardless, but locals were ready for a Hillary Clinton presidency, and now, faced with Trump as their president-elect, DC’s government employees especially are questioning whether or not they want to remain in their careers, says Gregory Jones, a psychologist at Capital Center for Psychotherapy and Wellness."

"I’m not interviewing everyone who comes into our practice, but from water cooler conversation, there’s an uptick in this area because there was a real shock — I’d call it a lowercase trauma — but absolutely there are people who are saying this is traumatic: I can’t work, I can’t function, I’m in a fog," said Keith Miller, a psychotherapist based in the Maryland suburbs. "We were treating panic attacks — in all fairness, these are folks who have a history of it and were in remission, but the trigger is there now and it’s causing their reaction."


By Brendan Gauthier

Brendan Gauthier is a freelance writer.

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