Santa Feans turn to massage, marijuana and more after stressful election - AOL

[mnews]

Nov. 6—When Ellenita Salko got to work Wednesday morning, it felt like "a huge balloon [had] been deflated."

Some hours earlier, Republican former President Donald Trump had been elected the 47th president of the United States. For many in Santa Fe rooting for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the hotly contested presidential race — including Salko — the news came as a devastating blow.

So, like many others Wednesday morning, Salko took to social media.

"I feel like a lot of us need some really deep healing right now, and I'm going to do the only thing I really know how to do well," she said in a video on Instagram.

Salko is a chiropractor and founder of the Santa Fe-based holistic health care center ElleWell, which offers several services — including acupuncture, massage and chiropractic care — related to the nervous system, stress and stress relief.

In an open call to her few hundred followers, Salko offered free services to the next 10 people who called her office.

"I'd like to offer that gift to you. Come and let's heal together," she said in the video.

Within two hours, all 10 had been claimed.

Rattled by the uncertain future of a second Trump presidency, many Santa Feans struggled through Wednesday, another stressful day after weeks or months of election-related anxiety.

It made for an especially busy period for some local workers. Mental health providers said they've seen an uptick in requests for counseling and therapy in recent weeks, a change they attribute to the election. "A ton of people" have sought care at Salko's practice for stress-related conditions, with an extra bump of clients coming in the past week, the chiropractor said.

Others have sought relief at liquor stores and dispensaries, where Election Day tends to bring a burst of business. But proprietors don't expect the boom to last through the week.

"I think people are really looking for connection and unity right now. ... It's a scary time, and there are a lot of unknowns ahead," said Lucia Bisbee, a licensed clinical social worker and founder of Trail Ahead Therapy, which operates offices in both Santa Fe and Albuquerque.

"How are we all going to deal with this?" she wondered.

Elizabeth Carovillano, a clinical therapist at Santa Fe Wellness Center, estimated 60% to 70% of her clients needed to express some kind of persistent stress in the weeks leading up to the nail-biter 2024 election.

They weren't coming to therapy specifically for election stress, but it was a "prominent processing issue" during their sessions, she said.

Bisbee, too, saw an uptick in the number of people reaching out to her practice just before the election.

Though New Mexico and Santa Fe lean liberal, Carovillano noted the anxiety hasn't spared her conservative clients. Though they ultimately got the result they were hoping for, some still worried about the direction of the election or had to manage not feeling accepted in bright-blue Santa Fe.

There's an added challenge for mental health providers: They have to help people through tough times while living through tough times, too. Both Carovillano and Bisbee mentioned the importance of therapists — some of whom provided care through the first Trump presidency and the pandemic — taking care of themselves.

"I think what therapists have really learned is to lean into the fact that we are all collectively going through the same thing," Bisbee said. "And in many ways ... it's a gift to be able to do this work."

Some disaffected voters might turn to their vices in the next few days — but they're not expected to stay there long.

Eli Goodman, owner of Best Daze Cannabis, which operates locations around Santa Fe and Las Vegas, said Friday is typically the best day for sales. But Election Day was a "step above a steady Tuesday," Goodman said.

But he doesn't expect the voting hangover to last — Goodman thinks that Santa Fe's weather will be the determining factor for sales later in the week. He was expecting a boost Wednesday as people prepared to bundle up for the wintry weekend.

Brian Felley, general manager of Susan's Fine Wine and Spirits, said Tuesday was a low sales day for the store.

"Nothing to write home about," Felley said.

Wednesday, too, will likely be a low day, Felley said, given the weather. When the weather is good, weekends and weekdays alike are busy.

"I'll tell you, I don't see a lot of happy shoppers today," Felley said. "... That's the good thing about booze — in good times and bad, there's always a reason to get a bottle open."

James Jo at Kelly Liquors Solana said that while Tuesdays are typically slow, every Election Day there's an increase in sales. But it doesn't typically last the week, Jo said.

"People were saying they're going to find out later who will be the elected," Jo said. "So either they celebrate or they drink because they're depressed."