ATLANTA (AURN News) — As Americans navigate a war abroad and rising stress at home, a trauma therapist says the constant flow of information is overwhelming many people and not all of it is helpful.
Yori Aiyeola-Scott, a licensed professional counselor who specializes in trauma, says the volume of daily headlines — from international conflict to economic pressure and political tension — is taking a toll on mental health.
“I don’t think so. I think that not all information that we’re getting is helpful. And I’m here to really help you figure out what is fear monger, what is staying informed and how to really draw the line between the two, keep your balance and allow yourself to cope through all of this because it is a lot of information coming in at once,” Aiyeola-Scott told AURN News.
She says one of the biggest challenges is learning how to separate fear-driven messaging from useful information while maintaining emotional balance. The stress is also showing up in how people work and live. Aiyeola-Scott says what many describe as “hustle culture” may, in some cases, be rooted in survival.
“I think for a lot of people, especially high achieving individuals who’ve always worked hard, we’ve always persevered, the hustle culture is not just about ambition. I think that we’re in survival. And we believe that if we keep producing, then we’ll be safe,” she said.
She says while working multiple jobs can help families stay afloat, it can also come at a cost.
“It is paying attention to what is it doing inside of you. How is this impacting your mental health? How is this impacting the time that you spend with your family?” she said.
Aiyeola-Scott also pointed to rapid changes in technology, including artificial intelligence, as another source of anxiety, but said people should focus on adapting rather than fearing it.
“I don’t think that it’s necessarily something that we need to fear. I think it’s something that we need to figure out how to stay informed and how to implement so that it doesn’t outsmart us, so that it doesn’t take our jobs away,” she said.
She also addressed concerns about the rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, saying those changes can feel personal but should be viewed in a broader context.
“I want people to realize this is a long game that we have to play. This is not checkers. This is chess. So we have to make sure that the information that we’re receiving is not a distraction from the long game that we’re playing,” she said.
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