5 unlikely insights to safeguard democracy
Polarization and authoritarianism reflect our politicized nervous systems.
With the 2024 U.S. presidential election decided by a majority of Americans who prefer that Donald Trump, not Kamala Harris, run the country, we need to talk about trauma.
Trauma isn’t just a personal issue; it’s a political one, too. Understanding the connection could be key to safeguarding our democracy. This may sound familiar because I published a pivotal essay about this in the Aug. 15 edition of Invisible Threads. If you devoured that, wonderful! If your time (or attention span) has been short, I feel you. But the dots I connected were too important to ignore, so I’m sharing the main points again here:
The U.S. spends $14 trillion annually on health conditions related to adverse childhood experiences. That’s $88,000 per affected adult, without even touching the costs of lost productivity and medical expenses from gun violence, racial inequality and other traumatic circumstances that adults endure. We’re talking massive financial and social impacts that stem from unresolved trauma. Yet, it’s rarely part of our political conversations.
How trauma fuels authoritarianism
Here’s the thing: Trauma doesn’t just harm individuals — it shapes political ideologies. When people experience trauma, they often feel fear and anger, making them more susceptible to authoritarian leaders who promise security and stability. Sound familiar? It’s a playbook used by autocrats around the world, and it’s crept into our own political landscape. Healing trauma is essential if we want to protect our democratic values.
Political polarization isn’t just about differing opinions; it’s a symptom of collective trauma. As communities fracture and people retreat into echo chambers, the divide deepens. But what if we could address the underlying trauma? What if healing those wounds could lead to a more connected, resilient society? It’s not just wishful thinking— it’s possible.
Our country was built by people fleeing persecution and violence, bringing their trauma with them. Unfortunately, they passed that trauma down through generations, embedding it into our systems of governance, laws and societal norms. Recognizing this legacy is crucial if we want to build a more just and equitable society.
Trauma isn’t just an individual experience — it’s collective. And that means healing has to happen at the community and systemic levels, too. Imagine a political landscape where policies are informed by an understanding of trauma, where leaders prioritize mental health and say and do things to support collective wellbeing.
This is possible.
Electing representatives with integrity, who are able to think for themselves and don't propagate disinformation, division or violence, is a big part of this. But voting alone won’t fix this mess. That requires people to look beyond surface-level rhetoric, to be civically engaged and to interact with others they might disagree with and don’t necessarily like.
You up for it? I’m with you.
Clicking any of the links here will take you to the full essay. Want others to know more? Share it far and wide. The only way we can do better is if we know better.
Thanks for reading. I truly believe it will make a difference.
Kate
Hi, I’m Kate…
I’m a journalist and documentary filmmaker focused on the relationship between mental health and democracy. At The Washington Post, I won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service with colleagues covering the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol attack. I also pioneered a mental health column and led a film unit. In 2024, after 20 years in newsrooms, I opted out of the corporate media tumult to create Invisible Threads, a storytelling venture committed to wellbeing through narrative transformation. We uncover individual, communal and systemic forces and stories that keep people sick and separate in order to illuminate honest paths to repair. I’m also a journalist-in-residence at Georgetown University’s research and design unit, The Red House. This chapter deepens work I’ve pursued for two decades, from reporting on an authoritarian regime in post-genocide Cambodia, to the decline of democracy in Hong Kong, to the 2021 U.S. insurrection. By subscribing to this newsletter, you’ll receive new columns, interviews and resources every couple weeks.