The recent state election in Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD secured a significant victory with 43.8 percent of the vote, has left many individuals feeling shocked, angry, or anxious about the future. For those who fear marginalization or societal rejection due to their background, religion, or lifestyle, these anxieties are particularly acute.
Understanding and Addressing Post-Election Anxiety
Stefan Woinoff, a specialist in psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy based in Munich, and a relationship expert for www.50plus-Treff.de, highlights that while fear serves as an important warning signal, it should not become a permanent state. “Fear makes us aware of dangers. However, if it dominates our thinking, it narrows our perspective, makes us overestimate dangers, and underestimate our own capacity for action,” explains Woinoff.
Political concern is a normal reaction, as our brains attempt to assess the personal implications of such an event. Questions like “What happens now?” or “Is Germany still safe for me and my children?” are understandable. However, Woinoff warns against allowing vigilance to escalate into perpetual alarm. He notes the common psychological trap where a possibility quickly morphs into a probability, and then into a perceived certainty. “This is where we need to pause and distinguish: What has actually happened? What could happen? And what is the worst-case scenario I am currently imagining?”
The Dangers of Doomscrolling and Over-Analysis
Woinoff illustrates this with the story of Rana, a Syrian nurse who found herself consumed by anxiety after the election results. Despite building a life in Germany, the news and aggressive comments she encountered online led her to question her children’s future in the country. Yet, her real-life interactions at work painted a different picture, demonstrating a stark contrast between online rhetoric and daily reality.
This phenomenon, known as ‘doomscrolling,’ involves excessively consuming negative news. While it may initially feel like a way to regain control, it often leads to heightened agitation without providing new information. Woinoff’s practical advice is to moderate news consumption: “Perhaps 20 minutes in the morning, and again in the early evening. Two or three reputable media sources are sufficient. And don’t read new projections, comments, reactions, and social media posts every hour.”
Similarly, he distinguishes between productive reflection and unproductive rumination. “Thinking leads to insight, decision, or action. Ruminating always returns to the starting point,” he states. He suggests asking: “Can I do anything concrete based on this thought right now?” If the answer is no, repeated rumination is unlikely to be beneficial. For those prone to rumination, setting a fixed “worry time” of 15-20 minutes a day can help regain control.
The Power of Individual Action and Community Engagement
Woinoff emphasizes that society is not solely shaped by elections but is recreated daily through countless interactions. “In the office. In the hospital. In the football club. In our children’s school. At the regulars’ table. In the neighborhood. In social networks. In the way we talk about other people and how we react when someone is excluded or disparaged,” he explains. Every individual’s actions, from supporting a foreign colleague to speaking out against hateful remarks, contribute to the societal atmosphere.
He argues that populist movements often thrive on insecurity and fear. While the AfD’s success cannot be reduced to a single psychological factor, fear plays a powerful political role, simplifying complex issues and making simplistic solutions more appealing. Therefore, for those dismayed by the election outcome, the response should not be more fear, but courage. “Not recklessness. Not glossing over. Not the naive assertion that everything will be fine. But the confidence: I can do something,” Woinoff asserts.
From Helplessness to Self-Efficacy
A key psychological concept here is self-efficacy-the belief in one’s ability to influence events. Woinoff encourages those concerned about political developments to engage actively, whether in an association, a civic initiative, a democratic party, a refugee aid organization, a church community, or a social project. “You can talk to people, contradict them, vote, and stand by others.”
He advises against three particularly unhelpful responses: catastrophizing, social withdrawal, and constant political consumption. No one can predict the exact consequences of an election result, and treating possibilities as certainties only exacerbates anxiety. Social withdrawal is also counterproductive, as people, especially those feeling insecure, need connection. Finally, he cautions against viewing every individual solely through their political affiliation. While democracy requires clear boundaries against misanthropy and extremism, it also necessitates the ability to communicate, tolerate contradictions, and not prematurely dismiss people.
When Political Concern Becomes a Health Issue
Woinoff warns that political anxiety can become detrimental if it takes over daily life. Symptoms such as prolonged sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating, constant news checking, physical tension, social avoidance, or a persistent lack of joy indicate that understandable concern has become a chronic psychological burden. In such cases, seeking professional support is crucial. Psychotherapy does not aim to eliminate political concerns but to help individuals manage them when they begin to dominate their lives.
Ultimately, Woinoff concludes, “Fear narrows the world. Courage makes it bigger again.” While individuals cannot control how millions of others vote, each person can influence the atmosphere in the country by choosing courage and engagement over paralyzing fear.
