Divisive politics has many people backed into their respective corners, stressing and fracturing relationships among friends, family and neighbors. That divisiveness has pushed some to express harmful rhetoric on social media and to others around them, which is a trend being noticed by mental health professionals.

Jessica LeBlanc, director of behavioral health services at Community Concepts, and Catherine Ryder, vice president of special projects at Spurwink, have heard the negativity expressed around politics and the looming presidential election, which seemed to boil over last week with the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, now officially the Republican presidential nominee.

During times of traumatic events or a hype in political opposition people tend to fear for their future, which can have an impact on their mental health, according to LeBlanc. That can lead to an increase in anxiety and depression, which can present itself through anger, irritability, opposition, isolation and more.

When people are experiencing fear and anxiety it is important to take time for self care, she said. Self-soothing exercises can include deep breathing, taking a walk, gardening, crafting, getting a massage, running a bath, or anything that will get a person’s mind off their fears and back into their daily routine. People may feel compelled to isolate themselves, but LeBlanc warns against that.

“It’s important not to isolate during times when we’re not feeling well,” she said. “It’s important to seek help if things are becoming too much. Sometimes our normal coping skills that we use when we’re starting to have a lot of fear and anxiety aren’t working and it’s increasing to the point where we really don’t feel like we can cope.”

Seeing information or decisive rhetoric on social media or through news media can trigger fear and anxiety, so Ryder recommends that people limit the amount of information they are consuming from those sources, she said, presetting those limits and turning devices off after people have gotten the information they need.

Some people can prepare themselves before turning on the news or scrolling through social media applications and then engage in self care after the activity to reregulate emotions, she said. She knows some people who have decided not to stay up-to-date on politics at all to protect their mental health.

Ryder tells people to consider if their fears are rational and not to get too overwhelmed about possible negative scenarios that may or may not occur in the future, she said. It is important to be aware of your own and others’ mental health, and seek help if needed so it does not manifest into self harm or harming others.

“Is it something that we absolutely believe is going to happen?” she asked. “Or are we kind of borrowing trouble for tomorrow by thinking about something that’s probably not really going to happen? But … there’s some possibility, right? Anything is possible in the world, right? So, it’s a matter of landing in something that feels more rational.”

The situation can get more complicated with family members who have opposing political views. In that case, it may be better not to talk about politics at all to preserve relationships, Ryder said.

Mixing politics and families can be a delicate situation, she said. People have to first consider how to engage in respectful discourse with each other. Once that is established, members of families can start to understand how one another thinks and why they think that way.

People might want to be more reserved when offering their opinions to family members and talk around the edges of an issue, she said. Having respectful conversations can lead to developing a respect for differences in opinions and beliefs.

When political discussions among family members devolve into arguing it is best to just walk away and spend some time away from each other, LeBlanc said. Continuing to argue can escalate the situation. Once tensions have settled, then she recommends that people try to come back and talk through the hard feelings with dignity and respect. Sometimes, family counseling can help with that.

It is also important not to get provoked into an argument and if someone is doing that then it is best to walk away, she said.

Some political leaders and public figures — including Trump and President Joe Biden — are now calling for people to cool their heads and be more thoughtful about what they are saying to others and what they’re writing on social media platforms.

LeBlanc thinks that if individuals engage in healthy political discourse, then it can teach children or others around them to do the same.

Ryder said she thinks seeing leaders model healthy political discourse would teach many in society to engage in it as well. She has seen snippets of collaboration and solidarity between those with opposing views but she would like to see more of it.

“If we are leading with respect and inclusiveness, then I can’t imagine that many others won’t follow,” she said. “It’ll never be across the board, right? We’re always going to have outliers. But I think that more people would get on board if our state, national, local leaders all engage in that same kind of behavior. So, that’s my hope.”

LeBlanc and Ryder encourage members of the public to reach out to Spurwink, Community Concepts or other mental health agencies if they feel overwhelmed by anxiety and fear.

If you or someone you know needs immediate mental health help call 988. If you are or know someone who is having thoughts of harming themselves or others contact the Maine Crisis Line at 1-888-568-1112.