PESD sufferers need to take mind off politics: doctor

Taipei, Jan. 14 (CNA) There is no better way to cure anxiety or depression after an election than to take one's mind off it with some form of distraction, like engaging in sports or taking part in leisure activities, a Taipei-based doctor said Tuesday.

Commonly known as post-election stress syndrome (PESD) the disorder can include being unhappy or angry about everything. Essentially, it is a feeling of hopelessness or dread that people feel after a major election.

Lee Chun-te (李俊德), who heads the Division of Psychiatry at Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, said the best remedy is to self-correct by staying away from political talk shows on television.

Lee suggested that anyone suffering from such depression needs to make sure they get enough sleep, exercise every day or self-meditate by taking long deep breathes for 5-10 minutes every time their stress level rises.

Tsai Hui-chun (蔡惠君), a doctor from Lien Hua Chinese Medicine Clinic in Taipei, said she has seen increases in the number of patients suffering from anxiety and insomnia in the days since the hotly contested presidential and legislative elections held Saturday.

It is understandable that individuals might be depressed after seeing the candidates they support lose in the elections, she said.

In the case, she tells her patients that the best way to unpack their emotions is to listen to music, take a hot bath, drink herbal tea and move on with their lives, Tsai said.