Hey everybody, good morning, I'm Doc V, and welcome to Call Sign Wizard, a podcast for therapists who work with veterans. Today we're talking about the election, and what it means for our clients who wore the uniform, who served under the flag, and who are now braving the invisible battlefield of anxiety, trauma, and distrust. This episode isn't about the red or the blue. It's about the gray. It's about what's real, and what's in our control, in a time when control feels like a long lost luxury. Now, wherever you stand on the ideological spectrum, chances are you've been fed a steady diet of tension, fear, and divisiveness. All of it's been drilled into our heads for months, especially in the last weeks and days. Let's not kid ourselves, this is calculated. The people who control the airwaves know that fear sells and fear grips. And for veterans that are already dealing with heightened vigilance and trauma responses, the non stop onslaught does more than stir worry. The anxiety, the triggers, and the PTSD. Now, before we dive into all of that, let me remind you why we're here. This is Call Sign Wizard, the podcast for therapists who work with veterans, and I'm your host, Doc V, a veteran, therapist, and your guide to understanding the unique challenges veterans face. Each week, we're going to be diving into topics like PTSD, chronic pain, military culture, and evidence based treatments to help you better understand and serve those who served. Whether you're a seasoned therapist or new to working with veterans, this podcast is here to provide the insights, tools, and supports that you need. So let's start with the hard truth. This job, our job, means leaving our own biases at the door. It means understanding that the person sitting across from you might see the world differently than you do. And that's okay. The point isn't who's right. The point is that we are there to help them through a storm that feels like it's everywhere. The news, the radio, the endless push notifications that make them feel like they're under fire. But here's the kicker. Most of what they're feeling, most of what we're all feeling isn't rooted in what we can control. They voted. We voted. But beyond that, they're in the same passive position as the rest of us, watching events unfold on a screen without any agency over what's going to happen next. And for a veteran, Someone whose life was once defined by decisive action, by control, by purpose. Sitting with that sense of helplessness isn't just uncomfortable, it's dangerous. So now let's bring this into the room. If you've already suggested to your veteran client to limit their media exposure, good, great. But we both know that's a hard sell. It's like trying to put out a forest fire with a garden hose. And when they do step away from the news, what do they feel? They feel lost, adrift, drowning in that tide. They feel anger. They feel fear. The solution isn't telling them to turn it off. It's helping them to find a way through all of that, through all of that noise. There's a study published in Nature. It says that when people feel powerless, they turn to conspiracy theories. And why? Because conspiracies give them an explanation, however implausible, that restores a sense of order, a sense of faith and control. And for veterans whose lives have been shaped by a history of betrayal, think Agent Orange, or burn pits, or depleted uranium, broken promises, that seed of distrust finds fertile ground. Now we can add fuel to that fire because there's a study in politics and life sciences that found election related PTSD to be a real thing. The more emotionally invested you are, the higher the stakes feel. The more likely you are to experience real psychological fallout. Now, imagine being a veteran, having served a country that feels like it's tearing itself apart. Imagine feeling personally connected to the national pulse and having no say in where it's going. For some, It's a recipe for new trauma. Alright, so, we've set the stage here. We've gotten the picture of what our veteran is experiencing in this moment. how do we respond? How do we, as therapists, do our part to help our clients through this? Here's a couple things that I want you to consider. First, I want you to, Start with yourself. Check your own baggage at the door. We all have our personal beliefs. We all have that person that we voted for, but I want you to check that baggage at the door. I don't care if you're frustrated, angry, hopeful, just tired of it all. None of that walks into the room with you. This is their time. This is the veteran's time. It's not yours. Take a breath, Remember that neutrality is power. You're the calm in the middle of the storm. Let that sink in. Next, I want you to help the veteran focus on what they can control. Help them shift focus from the macro to the micro. From the news to their own actions, their families, their routines, their own communities. Veterans are wired for action. They need a mission. They need a purpose. Help them find that in their day to day. Remind them that there's power intending towards what's right in front of them. And we can create boundaries with media. If they feel compelled to stay informed, help them set boundaries around that. Suggest they read a daily news recap instead of staying glued to that 24 hour news cycle all the time. That is designed to heighten their anxiety and make it clear that it's okay to step back for the sake of their own well being, for the sake of their own self care. And we might have to address conspiracy beliefs, but when we do, I want you to address them with empathy and not judgment. Listen to the feeling beneath the belief. Recognize the fear, the distrust, the pain of betrayal. Let them know that they're heard without reinforcing that theory itself. Your job isn't to fact check them. It's to be their anchor. And in this period of time, with all the chaos and seeming lack of control, one of the best things I think we can do is establish predictability and structure. And we can do that for them. For someone dealing with PTSD or anxiety, unpredictability is the enemy. So bring predictability into the room. Use clear, structured goals in therapy. And give them something solid to hold on to, to expect each week. Especially when everything outside feels like And as we start moving through the next couple of days, weeks, and months, we should prepare for an increase in symptoms. And I'm not going to sugarcoat it, you're probably going to see more irritability, more hyperarousal, more maladaptive coping, and probably a lot more conspiracy theories. So be ready. And if you haven't heard from your veterans, if they've been cancelling, let me know. Reach out to them. Have those check ins. Watch for signs that they're struggling more than usual. And it's okay to bring this up as a topic. Not about who they voted for or what they believe in, but about how all of this is affecting them. This is the point where we can step in. This is the point where we can help. Look, the political climate is out of our hands. But our work, that's in our control. We're not going to fix the world in a session, but we can help them find a way to hold steady as the world seems to shift around them. So, as we wrap this up, I want to leave you with a thought. Our job, your job, is to be a steady hand in uncertain times. For veterans, that means helping them find stability, agency, and hope. This week, when you sit down with your clients, think about what they need from you to make it through this moment. Not answers, not agreement, just a safe place to land. I want to thank you for joining me on Call Sign Wizard, and I'll be here next week to tackle another challenge in serving those who served. Remember, our job is to guide them through the storm, not to get swept up in it. stay grounded, stay sharp, and keep doing the work that matters.