My therapy clients can’t tear themselves away from the news — and it’s messing with their lives

… It’s not unusual for a client to recount their personal challenges in a calm and contained tone and then burst into tears while describing their concern about our current political climate.

One particular aspect of this stress is, in my experience, increasing — the stress associated with news consumption.

Clients frequently admit to excessively checking Twitter and social media, to the point that it interferes with their relationships and professional productivity. People struggling with these habits typically describe a growing sense of isolation, difficulty concentrating, increased anxiety and a sense of distraction. A surprising number of couples in therapy are fighting with each other about their respective modes of news consumption. These couples report less sleep, a growing sense of disconnection and less sex. And this includes couples where both members share the same political views.

Research on media consumption confirms that my clients are right to be concerned. CONT.

Elisabeth Joy LaMotte, Washington Post