Ecoanxiety: when planet worry creeps in
February 1, 2020 Mental Health
Parents
"You stole my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. People are suffering, people are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing, we are at the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and the fairy tale of eternal economic growth. How dare you?" - Greta Thunberg.
Greta Thunberg spoke these words in an emotional speech to many of the world's greatest political leaders on September 23, 2019. Let me assure you: today's goal is not to fuel the debate on climate change. Rather, I wanted to describe a phenomenon that's increasingly present in our society: eco-anxiety.
What is eco-anxiety?
Eco-anxiety is the feeling of fear and distress felt by a person when anticipating the negative consequences of climate change. These symptoms include insomnia, obsessive thoughts, panic attacks, changes in appetite, and many others. These reactions will occur at the mere thought of potential natural disasters.
Thus, feeling the actual consequences of climate change is not necessary, since anticipating the consequences is enough to generate anxiety. To date, no official diagnosis has been made for eco-anxiety. Nevertheless, the distress experienced by those who suffer from it is very real, and more and more people are concerned about this type of anxiety.
Who can get eco-anxiety
Because so few studies have focused on the phenomenon of ecoanxiety, it's difficult to know who may be most at risk for developing it. A French study published in 2018, however, attempted to identify which groups of people might be most worried about climate change. They reported that 93% of young people between the ages of 18 and 24 said they were very concerned about climate change.
Therefore, we can assume that this category of people would be more susceptible to developing eco-anxiety. The same study showed that 88% of women were concerned about climate change, compared to 81% of men. Although interesting, these figures are not sufficient to fully understand the phenomenon and more studies are needed.
Anxiety, regardless of the cause, can become overwhelming, and it doesn't always have to be managed alone!
Individual factors of eco-anxiety
Fears around climate change are not new, but the term "eco-anxiety" has only recently been coined. Authors interested in this phenomenon point to the threats to an individual's sense of well-being posed by climate change and its consequences.
This is not a surprise: the after-effects of climate change are likely to be very harmful. However, what is more surprising is the transformation of concerns into fear, thus generating an anxiety. Eco-anxiety comes from this feeling of having little individual control over these impacts.
Social factors of eco-anxiety
The more a person fears for his or her safety, the more he or she will attempt to find alternative ways to cope. But, when the problem is global, the individual can feel alone in this struggle. This point comes up repeatedly in testimonies from people who define themselves as eco-anxious. They mention specifically that the feeling of carrying this cause alone increases their anxiety.
Each person would like to trust that the institutions in place will take the steps necessary to stabilize their environment. When such trust is absent, whether through political instability or the perception that some leaders do not take climate threats seriously, anxiety increases, and this accounts in part for eco-anxiety's growing presence.
Positive mobilization to counteract eco-anxiety
As a way to manage the anxiety that climate change can cause, the authors suggest active and positive participation in its solutions as the best way to reduce it.
There are many steps that can be taken to reduce the impact of climate change. For example: reducing consumption, participating in collective composting, sorting recycling, favoring public transportation, reducing the temperature of your home by a few degrees, carpooling, and many others.
To reduce anxiety, it is also possible to mobilize by belonging to an eco-responsible group. There are several active movements at the moment, simply join the one that works best for you. You will have the opportunity to exchange ideas with people who have the same interests and questions as you do. Remember, the most important thing is to respect yourself while making changes.
Finally, if you think you suffer from eco-anxiety or know someone who does, don't hesitate to seek help! Anxiety, no matter what the cause, can become overwhelming, and you don't have to manage it alone!
References (in French)
Le Figaro, Eco-anxiété : quand la hausse des températures fait chuter le moral
TF1 info , Après le discours de Greta Thunberg à l'Onu, une pluie de critiques… et d'intox
Éditorial, Les effets du changement climatique sur la santé : Découvrez les risques et faites partie de la solution
Cairn, Des effets des discours positifs sur les angoisses liées au changement climatique>La Presse, Les changements climatiques, source d’« écoanxiété »
Le Droit, Éco-anxieux, toi-même!
Pihkala, P., Eco-Anxiety, Tragedy, and Hope: Psychological and Spiritual Dimensions of Climate Change
International Journal Of Mental Health Nursing, Eco-anxiety: How thinking about climate change-related environmental decline is affecting our mental health
Ifop-Fiducial pour CNews et Sud Radio, Les Français et le réchauffement climatique
