Kamala Harris voters are struggling with post-election emotions

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – In a concession speech filled with forward-looking words of hope, Vice President Kamala Harris acknowledged the emotions that come with defeat.

Carolyn Clines knows what she was talking about.

“A lot of sadness, a lot of fear,” Clines said Thursday.

The 23-year-old Louisville resident fears a continuation of the inflammatory rhetoric in the months leading up to the election, and the continued loss of reproductive rights.

“I’m terrified of the consequences of that,” Clines said. “I am terrified that I will not have access to the care I need. I am terrified that I will not be cared for if I develop complications.”

Like others personally invested in the campaign’s outcome, Clines is seeking the help of a mental health professional to cope with the pain.

The recognized psychologist Dr. Allyson Bradow has heard from many of her patients.

“Yesterday morning I woke up to a lot of text messages about, ‘I’m terrified, I’m trying not to get into a suicidal incident. I’m afraid of what this means for me, for my children, for my partner,” Bradow said.

Bradow finds the more extreme reactions of people who feel most vulnerable. Even before the election, the suicide rate among the trans population was already high.

“My concern is that those who are not yet in active treatment will not necessarily be able to access and utilize resources to maintain their own safety,” she said.

A common piece of advice from mental health officials is to talk to others and not suffer in silence.

Carma Bell Marshall keeps an eye on mental health trends as co-chair of the Trans Wellness Coalition.

“It’s plummeted,” Marshall said. “There is a lot of despair. There are many depressions. There is a lot of hopelessness and fear. That’s currently going around. People don’t know how these chips are going to fall now.”