It’s only the first few days.
I open any social media platform, and it’s the same thing: one meltdown after another over Trump or someone from his entourage—like Musk—and fear-mongering over whether Musk actually performed the euphemistically called “Roman Salute” or not, and does Trump’s return to office signal the end of democracy as we know it. But here’s the thing: we’ve been here before. We were all collectively losing our minds over Trump and his cabinet the last time around. I know the cycle by now. And I can tell you exactly what it cost me: a complete meltdown. I spent Trump’s first term in full-blown rage mode. What some people on the right call “Trump Derangement Syndrome”? I can tell you it was a thing for me. I was outraged daily; sometimes multiple times a day. I spent a lot of my time actively hating on Trump and his cronies. I wrote a “poem” in 2020 with something like 120 variations of Trump’s name. The list goes on… and on. There were several parts and this was just the beginning:
“He Who Must Not Be Named”
A Poem by Ilana Shamir
PART ONE
Rump the Tump
Trump the Runt
F*ckface von Twitter
Nihilistic Disptick
Fishfarts He Thunders
Dumb*ss von C*ckb*tch
etc… If you’re curious to read the rest, just ask. 😉
My hatred for this man—who first came onto my radar back in 1983 thanks to a Vanity Fair profile—consumed my energy, my focus, and my peace of mind. And I can tell you this from “lived experience”: the consequences were disastrous and very tangible:
It cost me six psych ward visits.
It cost me my emotional support animals and my sense of stability.
It very nearly cost me my own existence. Twice.
I couldn’t be more serious when I say: Never. Again. If you feel like you need to minimise my struggles by saying: but this time it’s different because xyz, please don’t bother.
The News Doesn’t Inform—It Engages.
What people forget is that the news is a business. And like any business, it has a model. That model isn’t about keeping you informed—it’s about keeping you hooked. And what keeps people hooked? Outrage. Fear. Chaos. Calm, rational discussions don’t sell ads. They don’t drive clicks. But panic and outrage do. Every headline, every “breaking news” alert, every expert panel analyzing the same five-second clip from 12 different angles—it’s all designed to keep you in a constant state of emotional reactivity.
And it works.
Breaking Free from the Rage Cycle
Someone recently told me: “I’m scared. It’s hard to watch. Yet I can’t look away.”
I get it. I really do. But here’s the best advice I can give: disengage. Step back from the constant feed of doomscrolling and do something—anything—that brings you peace. Now is the time to take up mindfulness practices. Now is the time to start using that meditation app you’ve been neglecting. You don’t have to meditate in the traditional sense.
Go for a walk.
Read a book.
Watch your favourite comedy again (Zoolander does it for me!)
Pet your dog or cat (or watch funny cat videos)
Spend time with people who make you laugh.
Anything to detach from the outrage machine. Because it will keep running, with or without you.
The Response That Gave Me Hope
After I shared this advice on TikTok, of all places, where unfiltered messages like this actually get through to people—someone responded:
“I welcome any advice with open arms, thank you for the wisdom and support. You have many wise ideas, they bring peace & I will practice these ideas. 🥰”
Another person said:
“Excellent advice.”
It was a reminder that not everyone wants to stay trapped in the cycle of anger and fear. Some people want to step back, but they don’t know how. And if I can help even one person break free from the constant emotional rollercoaster, then it’s worth sharing.
Protect Your Peace.
I’m not telling anyone what to do. If you want to be outraged, that’s a choice too. But at least be aware that it very much is a choice. I’ve done my time in that mindset, and I’m not going back. So I’ll say this once:
Protect your peace, people, because the media won’t do it for you.
- A Christmas gift to myself
- A few of the drawings I destroyed this year
- THE AKATHISIA FILES: PT 5
- THE AKATHISIA FILES: PT 4
- “I like rocks.”
Totally Surreal 
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