In addition to dominating everyone’s therapy sessions this week, the election’s outcome even caused a surge in calls to crisis hotlines. On the Monday before the election, calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline were 30% higher compared to what the experts there normally anticipate for Mondays, says John Draper, PhD, project director of the hotline. Between the hours of 1 and 2 a.m., the number of calls more than doubled (surging 140%) beyond what’s expected for that time period.This is not typical, even for election nights, which are always on some level stressful and uncertain. “The only other case we where we’ve seen an increase like this is when Robin Williams died by suicide,” Dr. Draper says. “And at the time, the media was publicizing the phone number a lot, because there was a lot of coverage of his death. In this case, it was people actually seeking out the number.”This level of negativity is not only unprecedented, it’s toxic to our health and the health of our country, which, at the very least, is something we can all agree on.So in response, all of the mental-health experts we talked to this week are urging their patients to take the time they need away from the election — and social media. “Part of the problem is how plugged in we are now. People are experiencing more difficulty getting away and compartmentalizing,” Justus says, adding that this has been true throughout this election cycle.We also need to remember that help is there for us when we need it. Dr. Draper, from the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, adds that community events like this are not usually the only thing going wrong when we feel in crisis or overwhelmed; instead, these events tend to aggravate something, such as a fear or anxiety that is already there, making it very important to reach out to our therapists, clergy leaders, and loved ones at times like this.“This election has left deep scars, not only on the psyche and mental health of individuals, but on society,” Dr. Abbasi adds. “The responsibility definitely relies with people in positions of authority. But we need to have more community conversations where two sides can come together. To me, America is ‘out of many, we are one.’ And here, we are seeing that the ‘one’ is being fragmented.”Dr. Abbasi’s advice for all of us? In addition to standing up for everyone’s civil rights, we must “show love and respect. Try and understand the fear. I do believe that it is fear working on both ends. It’s important to go beyond that fear, but that can only happen if we stop talking about each other and talk to each other.”If you are thinking about suicide or are experiencing a mental health emergency, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or the Suicide Crisis Line at 1-800-784-2433.