President Trump isn't just dominating every news cycle, he's fueling therapy sessions across the country.

From blue states in the West to red states in the South, the divisive partisanship that defined the campaign and then the Trump administration's turbulent first two months appear to have created a collective angst, psychologists say.

Therapists say clients are focused on politics in a way they've never seen before.

Some people are worried about losing their health care. Others are angry about Trump's travel ban, with the latest barring nationals of six largely Muslim countries. Those who are gay, lesbian or transgender fear hate crimes.

Then there are the people concerned about getting labeled as anti-immigrant or anti-women simply because they support Trump. They feel misjudged and unfairly pigeonholed.

"Post-election stress is real," said Vaile Wright, director of research at the American Psychological Association. "People are really fearful about what's going on in the country and are reporting concern about the political climate."

On behalf of the national association, Harris Poll surveyed about 3,500 people last August in an annual survey about stress. The questionnaire asked for the first time about stress related to politics after hearing from therapists that many of their clients were anxious about the campaign.

More than half said the U.S. presidential election was stressing them out.

The researchers wondered if the findings were an anomaly so it had Harris survey about 1,000 people in January after the election, asking more detailed questions.

Nearly 70 percent said they were on edge about the future of the country and nearly 60 percent cited the current political climate as a source of stress. Also, overall stress levels were up - from 4.8 in August to 5.1 in January on a 10-point scale.

Wright said the increase, even though it appears small, is statistically significant. The rise in overall stress also marked a change. In the 10 years that the association has conducted the poll through Harris, stress levels have trended downward.

"We were surprised," Wright said. "Clearly, people are worried about their security."

If left untreated, stress can lead to chronic conditions like obesity, hypertension and heart disease. That, in turn, could affect the national health profile depending on how long the heightened stress lasts, Wright said.

No one knows what will happen because the country is in uncharted territory.

"I've been in practice for 30 years," said Esther Lerman Freeman, clinical psychologist at Oregon Health & Science University. "I've never seen people this upset about an election."

Many people don't know what to expect from Trump, she said. He has signed more than 30 executive orders since taking office Jan. 20 and is a prolific tweeter. He's even roiled the security community with unsubstantiated accusations that President Obama wiretapped Trump Tower during the campaign.

"When something is not predictable, it makes people more anxious," Lerman Freeman said.

Even Trump supporters have been affected.

"They feel that people on the other side are not understanding them," said Angela Londono-McConnell, a psychologist and co-owner of a private practice near Athens, Georgia.

Clients preoccupied with politics can't shake their concerns.

"Even all these weeks after the election, people are still talking about it," Londono-McConnell said. "They're still very distressed about what is happening."

***

Patients report nights of shattered sleep. Some avoid going out or no longer frequent places where they fear bullying or confrontation. Others, glued to news shows, forget to eat or take their medication.

"I think about World War II," said Philip Hartman, a 26-year-old Tigard resident who's in therapy. "I think about the Holocaust. It could happen here. Like the Japanese internment camps."

Hartman worries about being assaulted for having olive skin after being punched and called racist slurs at a bus stop in Portland in mid-December. He didn't report the incident to police, but now carries his U.S. passport everywhere, fearing arrest and deportation. He avoids going out at night alone and doesn't venture into areas where he might be bullied.

"Everyone is stressed but for different reasons," said Mary Alvord, a psychologist who owns a two-office practice in Maryland near Washington, D.C., that serves 300 clients a week.

Alvord hasn't seen this kind of mass anxiety since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, she said. But back then people were united.

Ryan Dix, a psychologist with Providence Medical Group in Northeast Portland, counsels patients with chronic health conditions like diabetes. Since the election, he's had clients that spend hours reading news stories online or watching TV news to try to gain a sense of control.

It only makes things worse. They skip meals, become isolated, lose sleep.

"They forget to eat breakfast and maybe forget their morning medication," Dix said. "It just snowballs from there."

Others who have suffered trauma are also struggling. An item in the news can trigger memories. They relive past trauma and re-experience old sensations. They might feel lightheaded, dizzy or have panic attacks.

"It's particularly difficult with people with a history of sexual abuse," said Joel Lane, president-elect of the Oregon Counseling Association. "There seems to be a sentiment that the country is OK with a leader who has seemed to brag about sexual assaults and has had sexual assault cases brought against him."

***

A group of students at Portland State who are studying to become counselors talked about their own worries during a recent informal discussion with classmates.

"It's more difficult right now," said Camille Bishop, a 28-year-old graduate student. "As a queer person, I feel like there is a lot of uncertainty about how I will be treated in the future."

Danae Brown, 25, worries about deportations. She's worked with many undocumented residents and is half Mexican.

Neil Panchmatia, 34, grew up in Kenya, his family is from India and he's gay. He's in Portland on an international student visa.

He feels he has to stay on top of the news every day but says it's wearing him down.

"I'm so tired of being so alert and so protective and so angry at every single moment of the day," Panchmatia said.

He avoids protests and doesn't speak out, keeping a low profile. He feels helpless.

"That adds another layer of hurt and disempowerment to my experience," Panchmatia said.

The counseling students said they must earn to put their own fears aside to be effective therapists

"It can really be a complicated process," said Lane, who also leads Portland State University's clinical counseling program.

He said therapists need to focus on what they can control and take care of themselves while urging clients to do the same.

Even little things can help: a few moments of meditation, soft breathing, a happy thought.

Lerman Freeman encourages clients to exercise or volunteer. Even donating to a good cause can help calm anxiety, she said.

"If you take positive action, it not only makes you feel you're making a difference but it also connects you with people with the same values who are moving in the same direction," Lerman Freeman said.

-- Lynne Terry