The human mind is designed for connection. Our evolutionary journey, our families, and our communities mold us to pursue cooperation, reciprocal respect, and common goals. We are inherently social creatures whose sense of security relies on trust and belonging.
When this innate inclination towards unity is disrupted; when we face animosity, harsh words, or dehumanization, it goes against our very nature. What may have once been felt only within a dysfunctional family dynamic or a fragmented community is now magnified on a worldwide scale. In the current age of instant communication and social media, where every insult and every uproar can be shared in real time, the psychological effects are intensified.
In the psychiatric clinic, I observe this daily. Patients come in with panic attacks, spirals of anxiety, and depressive symptoms that escalate after being engaged in the 24-hour news cycle or scrolling through divisive feeds. For many, the disputes they see on cable news or online feel hauntingly familiar, reflecting the unresolved conflicts of their original families: childhood settings where anger, instability, or withdrawal left significant emotional scars.
The reawakening of these ancient wounds is not just metaphorical. It is tangible. Patients report tightness in their chest, insomnia, and an overwhelming sense of powerlessness as if they are once more ensnared in an argument from which they cannot escape. This intersection of personal history and societal strife fosters a distinct kind of psychological trauma, undermining the belief that human beings can listen to each other and discover common ground.
However, there is a promising clinical insight here. When I inquire about their exposure to polarizing media (how frequently they watch, what emotions it evokes, and how it relates to past relational wounds), many start to identify the pattern. Recognizing the connection between political division and personal trauma enables them to regain control. For some, establishing boundaries around news and social media consumption becomes not only a practical measure but also a symbolic gesture of healing: a means of affirming their right to peace, dignity, and togetherness.
Psychiatry has always involved understanding how the inner self interacts with the outer world. At this moment, the external environment is saturated with voices of dissent. But if the human psyche is indeed crafted for collaboration, then even amid the cacophony of disunity, we can assist patients in rediscovering resilience. By acknowledging the psychological injuries inflicted by polarization and providing pathways back to tranquility and connection, we remind them (and ourselves) that unity is not merely an ideal. It is a psychological imperative.
*Farid Sabet-Sharghi is a psychiatrist.*