Beware of post election depression

PANAMA. They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. After all-nighters watching reruns of the campaign trail or creeping out of bed early for a tweak of the newest political feed, many of us, including the Star’s staff, might have one. We have become nothing short of political junkies.

For almost two years, in the longest campaign season the U.S. has seen, Democrats and Republicans have faced two forms of addictions, albeit similar in nature, different in substance: Obsessive Obamania, and Palinaholism (sorry McCain but Palin always boasted bigger groupies).

Although not officially recognized by psychiatric associations, no matter who wins, withdrawal symptoms are going to get uglier than “a pig in lipstick.”

For the Star and other addicts, all those who got a buzz off the Democratic primaries, who were excited (or surprised) with the Sarah Palin pick, and felt an adrenaline rush during the campaigns’ final stretch, the party is over. Se acabo. Finito.

Once the votes are counted, it’s campaign detox for us. It’s time to find something new to obsess about, a new craze to follow. And it’s terrifying.

Gladly we won’t spend the recovery period alone. A recent Entertainment Weekly article speaks of similar reactions across the United States.

''It sounds like a mild obsession,'' offered Addiction specialist Dr. Morteza Khaleghi, author of the new book Free From Addiction: Facing Yourself and Embracing Recovery, in the article.

Khaleghi says a form of post-election depression should be expected: ''You'll wonder how you'll fill the vacuum.''

Withdrawal is going to be though even for the winning side. Those first few days will be filled with the euphoria of victory, and for a couple of weeks there will be the soothing dose of inaugural planning and media speculation over cabinet appointments.

But then what? How can life be as exciting without the thrilling jolt of the daily swing states polls?

Fortunately, Dr. Khaleghi has a simple one-step program: ''Wait four years.''