Although the near-term future looks bleak for Democrats, things are looking brighter for others. Like those in the therapy business.
CNBC reports an online therapy start-up called Talkspace has seen a seven-fold spike in its traffic since about 7 p.m. on election day. The firm, made up of a national network of about 1,000 licensed therapists, provides its therapeutic services via text messaging and online video with plans starting at $32 a week. For some people in these uncertain post-election times, that’s a bargain.
At Talkspace, they can barely keep up with the increased demand.
“We’re trying to get help to as many people as possible but unfortunately because of the load our response time is a little slower than usual,” The company’s chief executive told CNBC. “People are very aware that this is a long term concern and problem which won’t go away soon.”
Where’s the majority of the hand-wringing occurring? Mostly in the New York area of course, where Democrats seem to be even bluer than the color on an electoral map. However, almost 20 percent of the traffic is also coming from other regions…including Republican-leaning red states.
According to the company’s therapists, patients are experiencing extreme emotions from “profound sadness” to “anxiety and self-esteem issues.” One client became bedridden due to the anxiety caused by the election and others are turning to drink to relieve their stress. There’s been a “dramatic rise” in fears from the LGBT community too.
CNBC’s Catherine Clifford predicts that business should be booming for Talkspace for a while. “The coming weeks, months, and even years are likely to be tumultuous,” she writes.