How to Quit an Addiction to Politics

One of the biggest events of 2024 was the presidential elections and the campaigns leading up to it. 

Everyone chose a side. Many people liked President Trump while others wanted a change and were rooting for Vice President Kamala Harris. Before that, people wanted President Biden to get a second term. That was on top of the many Senate and House races that made people choose a side. 

Some people are only casually interested in politics. They know who’s running and have a general idea of who they want to vote for ahead of time. 

Others obsess over politics. They watch their preferred TV channel (CNN, MSNBC, Fox News) 24 hours a day and top it off with political commentary on YouTube and in the newspapers. They’re obsessed with politics. 

Even worse, they’re very upset when their candidate loses. It can be a serious problem. If you are obsessed with politics, you might find yourself feeling anxious and upset a lot of the time. You want your candidate to win at all costs, and you dislike people who want the other candidate to win. Some people get so mad after their candidate loses that they rant and make videos on social media. 

An obsession with politics is bad for your mental health. Here are just a few reasons why you can’t let your obsession go too far. Then, read the solution for how you can break the addiction.

Issue: It can make you angry

Even if your candidate seems to be winning, you can still get upset while watching political issues unfold. You’ll hear the other candidate say something you don’t like or you’ll see their supporters say things that will make you mad. Since the political cycle can be 24/7, you can become obsessed and angry more often. You may even lash out at friends or coworkers.

Solution: Learn to not be angry

The easy answer to an addiction to something on TV is to take it in moderation. Yes, it’s important to know what’s going on in the world. It’s also your civic responsibility to vote. However, if all you do is watch politics and talk about politics, then you’re going to be angry a lot. 

Mix in other hobbies or areas of interest, whether it be sports or a creative endeavor. Make your life more than just about politics, and you’ll be happier.

Issue: It will make you forget what’s important

Yes, politics is important. You need to pick a candidate that closely resembles your values. However, like any addiction, it’s possible to let an obsession with politics rule your life. Let it get out of hand and you could forget what’s important, like your family. Don’t let anything take the place of your spouse and your kids. The last thing you want is to have your relationship be in hot water because of something like watching too much CNN.

Solution: Find time for everything

It’s okay to watch the news and politics some of the time. Slot out a certain time to do so. Maybe that could be at night when the kids are asleep. They don’t need to hear the bad news on the evening broadcast anyway. During the day, instead of scrolling through Facebook during your lunch break, find a way to spend time with your family. That way, you’ll make time for everything. 

Issue: It makes you forget who’s truly in control

You could be obsessed with politics because you constantly fear that if one person is elected, that your life will become much worse. You’re desperate for every detail because you want to make sure that things are going well. It’s easy to get wrapped up in politics because we feel like we’re losing control of our lives, and we’re hoping a politician will save us. However, the truth is that no one politician can change the world.

Solution: God controls everything from now till eternity

It is important to remember that while it’s essential to vote and to take your civil responsibilities seriously, in the end, God is in control of everything that happens on earth. God knew from the beginning who was going to be in the White House at any given time, and he is the one who puts them there. 

Yes, even if we think that the current president is the worst president of all time. God put him or her there. God may have put them there because he thinks that if things get bad enough, more people will turn to him and Jesus and find salvation. God may later put in a better president to make things better for everyone. We don’t know God’s ways, but he always has our best interests at heart.

No matter what happens, if you have faith in God and Jesus, and you ask to be saved, you can be one of God’s children. That means that he’ll always take care of you, even when things don’t seem so great. The point is that you don’t have to obsess over politics. If you have faith in God, you will know that things will work out no matter who is in the White House.

So, vote, but don’t get obsessed. 

Want To Be Truly Happy?

Accept Jesus Christ into your life as your Lord and Savior. Whether we like it or not, we are all sinners, but Jesus paid the ultimate price so we can be forgiven and go to heaven after we die. By accepting Jesus and accepting that he died on the cross and that his blood covers our sins, we can be forgiven and finally be truly happy. We can forget about the stress and anxiety of this world and look forward to a wonderful life in heaven. 

All you have to do is pray, ask for Jesus to be your savior, and ask for forgiveness of your sins. If you really mean it, you can be born-again. You won’t be so obsessed with the bad things in this world and you can be truly happy. 

Will you accept Jesus into your life? We hope you will. God Bless You.