Why Can’t I Stop Doomscrolling the News? LGBTQ Therapy NYC: How to Break Free from Political Anxiety and Social Media Burnout

The Doomscrolling Trap—And Why It’s Worse Right Now

This is sometimes how my phone appears to me these days… We need to develop strategies that help us avoid burnout and overwhelm. LGTBQ Therapy in NYC can help!

I totally get it. I tell myself I’ll just check the news for a second—just to stay informed—but suddenly, my heart is pounding, I feel tense, and I’ve lost 45 minutes to scrolling through headline after headline, each one more panic-inducing than the last. It feels like I’m being assaulted by push notifications—constant alerts from news and social media apps that are designed to hook me. The word choices alone feel engineered to provoke a reaction. My husband hears a breaking news update and sighs, “Oh no… what has he done now?” and before I know it, we’re both frantically pulling out our phones in a collective panic.

It’s no wonder political anxiety is so intense right now. Those in power are behaving in ways that are increasingly disorganized and disorienting—and that alone induces a sense of fear. When leadership feels unstable, the nervous system interprets it as a direct threat. Add to that the reality that news and social media platforms are built to manipulate our emotions, amplifying fear, outrage, and uncertainty because those emotions keep us engaged.

For those of us in marginalized communities, particularly the LGBTQ+ community, this stress response is heightened even further—not just because of what’s happening now, but because of what it echoes. Many of us carry trauma from past environments where authority figures controlled the narrative, where safety was conditional, where power was wielded in ways that left us feeling vulnerable and unseen.

So yes, setting boundaries with doomscrolling helps—but if you find that the news leaves you feeling disproportionately anxious, reactive, or even paralyzed, it may be pointing to deeper wounds that haven’t been resolved yet. That’s where LGBTQ therapy in NYC (with me) can be incredibly helpful. It’s not just about managing today’s stress—it’s about healing what’s being triggered so you can engage with the world from a more grounded, empowered place.

Why Can’t I Look Away? How Social Media Hooks You

Your Brain Is Wired for Threat Detection

From an evolutionary standpoint, our brains are constantly scanning for danger. It’s how we survived as a species. If a rustling in the bushes could be a predator, our ancestors couldn’t afford to ignore it. Today, our nervous systems operate the same way, but instead of physical threats, we are responding to political upheaval, news of discrimination, and threats to our safety. When leadership is chaotic, policies are shifting, and our rights feel at risk, it’s impossible to disengage fully. This is a survival response, and it makes sense that it’s hard to look away.

Algorithms Exploit High-Arousal Emotions

Social media and news platforms don’t just provide neutral updates; they craft stories designed to keep you engaged. They don’t care about your well-being; they care about clicks, reactions, and time spent scrolling. This means that the most inflammatory, emotionally charged headlines rise to the top of your feed. Outrage fuels engagement, and engagement fuels profits.

(Source: Stanford HAI)

The Four Emotional Hooks That Keep You Scrolling

You might not realize it, but most of the content that grips you and keeps you in the doomscrolling cycle is triggering one of four emotions: fear, rage, shame, or loneliness. These emotions create urgency, making you feel like you must stay informed or take immediate action.

• Fear makes you wonder, What if I miss something crucial? What if I don’t prepare for the worst? It keeps you hypervigilant, always scanning for updates.

• Rage fuels the feeling that How dare they do this? This is unacceptable. It can keep you locked in reaction mode, arguing with strangers online or feeling powerless.

• Shame whispers, Other people are doing more. Am I failing my community? It convinces you that you’re not enough and must engage more, even at the expense of your well-being.

• Loneliness says, If I log off, am I isolating myself from what matters? Social media can provide a false sense of connection, making you think you have to be “plugged in” to belong.

(Source: Isaiah Burks on Social Media Algorithms)

For LGBTQ+ individuals, these emotions land even harder because many of us have lived experiences where power, authority, and exclusion shaped our reality. When today’s news echoes past experiences of oppression, rejection, or danger, it amplifies our response.

Breaking Free from Doomscrolling Without Disconnecting Completely

Recognizing the cycle is the first step to breaking free. The goal isn’t total disengagement—after all, we care about what happens in the world. But there’s a difference between staying informed and staying overwhelmed.

1. Identify Your Emotional Triggers

Next time you catch yourself doomscrolling, pause. Ask yourself: What emotion is this content triggering? Is it fear, rage, shame, or loneliness? Once you identify the emotional hook, you regain power over the cycle.

2. Set Intentional News Consumption Habits

Instead of letting the news dictate your mental state throughout the day, set designated check-in times. Try limiting yourself to 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening. This way, you stay informed without spending hours in a stress loop.

An example of curating your social media feeds is to follow accounts that bring more joy and relaxation than incite panic, merely to balance things out.

Photo by Ilse Orsel; Uploaded from Unsplash on 2/17/2025

3. Curate Your Social Media Feeds

Your algorithm is shaped by what you engage with. If you follow accounts that constantly incite panic, your feed will reflect that. Unfollow or mute accounts that leave you feeling drained. Instead, follow voices that focus on resilience, empowerment, and meaningful action.

4. Recognize When Your Nervous System Needs a Reset

If you notice yourself feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or panicked, take a moment to ground yourself. Deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and stepping away from screens can help your nervous system shift out of high-alert mode.

5. Channel Your Energy Into Meaningful Action

Doomscrolling gives the illusion of control, but real change happens through action. Rather than consuming endless updates, ask yourself: What can I do that actually makes a difference? Whether that’s writing a letter to a representative, volunteering, or simply taking care of your mental health, small actions create real impact.

How LGBTQ Therapy in NYC with EMDR Can Help

All those things above can absolutely help with reducing the ongoing stress of what's happening in the world right now. But also take a second to reflect on if all the anxiety, stress, and overwhelm might be touching on past events that were hard and chaotic too. Doomscrolling isn't just about staying informed—it’s often a reflection of deeper emotional wounds. For LGBTQ+ individuals, political anxiety isn’t just a reaction to current events; it’s a resurfacing of past experiences where safety, stability, and rights were threatened. This is where therapy, particularly Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, can be incredibly powerful.

Through EMDR, we can work together to:

• Process past experiences that may be amplifying your distress in the present.

• Identify and break patterns of compulsive engagement with distressing content.

• Develop emotional resilience so that you can stay informed without feeling emotionally hijacked.

• Strengthen self-trust and find clarity amidst overwhelming narratives.

Therapy provides a structured space to work through the distress that doomscrolling triggers, so instead of feeling stuck in cycles of panic, you can reclaim your mental and emotional well-being.

Final Thoughts: How LGBTQ Therapy in NYC Can Help

Political anxiety isn’t just about the present moment—it often stirs up deep, unresolved wounds from the past. If you find yourself feeling stuck in cycles of fear, anger, or helplessness, therapy can provide the space and guidance to process these emotions in a way that leads to real emotional freedom.

If you’re struggling with political burnout, LGBTQ Therapy in NYC can help you regain balance. Click here to set up a 15 minute consultation with me to see if I can be helpful or to learn more about my services and specialties.