President Trump's Impact On Our Bodies — Letters that should have been in the new york times

11.29.19

To the editor:

David Brooks (NYT, 11.29.19, The Wisdom Your Body Knows) writes about how our bodies express our emotional states and are the nexus between our thinking minds and the world around us - especially our relationships. He gives as an example the physical response to the bully on the playground: quickened heart rate, rapid breathing and the urge to fight, take flight or freeze.

But what does this look like when living in a world where 'emotional granularity' is lacking; when the 'bully on the playground' is the President? As a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, everyday I see the detrimental effects of physical bodies activated - constantly primed for danger - while feelings of helplessness and powerlessness complicate defining constructive action. In this situation, it is important that individuals can define modes of engagement (protest, political involvement) that feel purposeful while, at the same time, mindfully getting out the 'playground' by detaching from the 24/7 media attention our President commands.

Respectfully

Larry S Sandberg