Mental Fitness Matters: A Community Supporting Activism and Personal Resilience

Our group grew out of Dr. Bandy Lee's weekly Zoom gatherings, coming together naturally from a shared commitment to understanding and responding to the challenges of today's US political climate. What began as open conversations became a vibrant space for connection, reflection, and mutual support. Together, we recognized not only the gravity of the issues before us but also the potential for collective action.

Dr. Lee is a forensic and social psychiatrist who led a group of her colleagues in editing the New York Times bestselling books The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump and The Much More Dangerous Case of Donald Trump . She hosts a Substack (bandyxlee.substack.com) and a weekly Zoom meeting for subscribers. The group is a separate endeavor that she supports but does not attend.

Our first meeting was held in January 2025, where we focused on fellowship and connection with participants. It is difficult to describe how such a grassroots effort has grown into a cohesive fellowship and safe place for people to gather. The group has spurred activism in both red and blue districts, and large cities as well as rural areas.

For ROOM, we have invited members to speak of the role the group has played in their capacity to find emotional balance and to act constructively in these times.

You can find us at

I am a licensed mental health counselor living in North Carolina. Like millions of others, I was feeling increasingly isolated and alone. Witnessing the weakening of our democracy by Donald Trump and his enablers has been disorienting. These gatherings have given me a framework to understand what was happening to me and others.

My reaction to the moment has roots in trauma in my early life. Growing up with a father who immigrated to Iowa from Canada, was a United States Marine and a Korean War veteran (Chosen Reservoir), was difficult. I believe my father's untreated PTSD drew him to Rush L