Gina Molder (not her real name) of Rochester, New York, said things were pretty rough between her and her husband a few weeks ago.

“We’re both registered Democrats, but recently I said that I agree with some of the things Donald Trump has been saying. My husband looked at me for what seemed like an hour before uttering, ‘You’re kidding me?’ We ended up in a heated argument,” said Molder.

The couple agreed to disagree, knowing their 15-year marriage is for better or worse. But the couple’s new mantra is, “Don’t discuss politics.”

This political presidential campaign year is, without a doubt, one of the most contentious ever. Exacerbating the tension, say health experts, is the way the around-the-clock cable news channels dramatize and exaggerate the normal back-and-forth of election-year politics.

“All of us are bombarded by an election-year, 24-hour news cycle that intensifies the problems in the country and the world — the threat of terrorism, the economy, drug addiction, and so on — that already produce anxiety and which we all must deal with,” said Dr. Gail Gross.

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Dr. Gross, a nationally recognized family and child development expert, author, and educator who specializes in behavior and relationships, says the result is a high-pitched, super-charged level of discussion that heightens any conflict.

“TV news increasingly is becoming entertainment and it confuses viewers and raises their anxiety level,” she said. “This has consequences for our physical and mental health, as it increases our levels of the stress hormone cortisol. With this presidential election in particular, people seem to be both more engaged but also more polarized than in previous years — all of which adds to stress levels.”

That stress, along with a “war of the words,” can chip away at relationships.

“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” — Thomas Jefferson

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“Two-and-a-half-years ago my brother-in-law posted a comment on Facebook regarding the minimum wage. In turn, I gave my opinion. He deleted my comment and then sent me a private 900-word letter about why I was wrong. It turned into a heated conversation, and we haven’t spoken since,” said Michelle Nelson (not her real name) of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

One family counseling practice in Des Moines, Iowa, reports an uptick in couples therapy appointments each presidential election cycle, always right before and following the Iowa caucus. This year, however, the office said there was such a significant increase that additional staff had to be hired.

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When we find ourselves polarized into political positions, said Dr. Gross, we end up projecting our frustrations onto others. We also tend to think our friends and even family members don’t just disagree with us, but are actually letting us down on a personal level.

“We become stakeholders in the conflict and see those who disagree with us as contributing to the country’s problem. This raises stress levels and actually can change the brain architecture,” said Dr. Gross. “It’s all part of our primitive fight-or-flight response that allowed us to defend the security of our tribe from menacing outsiders. It’s what we’re seeing now on television, when someone punches a protestor at a political rally. They’re, in effect, punching that tiger to defend themselves.”

She added, “The over-production of cortisol caused by a heightened level of stress actually changes our impulse control. People have lost lifelong friends and family members because of this loss of impulse control.”

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If Mary Matalin, a Republican political consultant, and James Carville, a prominent figure in Democratic political party, can hold it together in marriage, then surely others can salvage their relationships despite their politics. After 23 years of marriage and two children, the Carvilles continue to enjoy their marriage and share their secret: “We don’t discuss politics at home.”

When two or more are gathered in a conversation, opinions will usually differ — especially during an election year. Individuals need to decide how important it is to keep any relationship intact.

The advice of Dr. Gross is worth strongly considering: “First, agree to disagree. And then make the conscious decision to take politics off the table for awhile and change the focus of conversation to other topics — a book you’ve read or a movie you’ve seen recently, or a family trip you may be planning. Also, turn off the TV, unplug from the news, and reduce your stress by exercising, gardening or meditating.”