Ecoanxiety: Psychophysical Consequences Of An Advancing Illness
The concept of ecoanxiety refers to concern about the impact of environmental change on people’s lives. In other words, excessive and hopeless concern about climate change and its consequences about the fate of the earth.
A real concept that has taken on greater prominence as we become aware of the degradation and mistreatment to which we subject our planet. This idea, which has been developing for some time but has recently gained prominence, mostly affects young people between 16 and 25 years of age in the most developed countries, because in them basic needs are better covered than in others with less. luck. Effective movements have been developed to raise awareness about the importance of caring for the planet and concrete measures to take, but for now they are insufficient.
In this article we will refer to ecoanxiety as Concern about the climate and environmental impact negatively affects people in their daily lives and mental health
It is important to know the symptoms and the consequences on people’s mental health, understanding that this trend will increase over time and will extend to the general population.
As happened in the pandemic, the disease will not be subsumed by a mere description, fear and uncertainty about what the fate of humanity will be when the effects of climate reality become more evident than they are at this moment, They will make anxiety prevail and blind the ways of facing the problem.
The real consequences of the lack of state intervention on the subject plus the addition of the dilemma in the face of concrete actions will progressively unleash, in the best of cases, a wave of symptoms that will make up a characteristic syndrome; That is to say, the reality of climate degradation will be a fact within health clinics in the immediate future.
In any case, it is a growing influence, although the reason is highly rational and indisputable, there is a personal component that affects or becomes flesh in the personality of some subjects and not in others, which is the point that we will discuss in this article.
How is this phenomenon expressed?
The particular symptoms that this condition develops are similar to the well-known anxiety crisis. Fear, sweating, hyperventilation, sleep disturbances, both when we sleep too much or when it manifests as insomnia. Palpitations or sweating may occur and when this condition progresses it can lead to suffocation, triggering depression due to lack of coping skills.
Social isolation, the feeling that there is nothing to do and that the world is ending, is playing tricks on many people who, already having an anxious base, develop this condition more easily.
With this, what we are trying to say is that we must have a personal basis that allows the scourge of anxiety about the real idea, that the world as such can end if we do not take measures about it, to take on an extra dimension and lead us to develop more severe pathologies. than those that already occur, such as depression and its consequences. Above all, in young people who are more likely to not find a way out or to find the most extreme ones, due to their immaturity resulting from a lack of concrete experience in the world. Furthermore, due to their chronological age they have not yet acquired enough experience to develop their potential and assets to be able to face the vicissitudes of life effectively and with less psychological costs.
What works against facing psychological treatment in these cases is that, Being an absolutely real situation, a state of hopelessness is naturalized due to the lack or scarcity of effective measures on the part of governments. Feeling so small in terms of what the problem encompasses, and understanding that a little help goes a long way but that its visibility is not the same, leads the youngest to despair.
The topic is much broader and we leave issues out, there is much more to see, question and act on. But the warning of this silent and increasing evil begins to flood the offices. This way of approaching the issue is also related to the way in which the parents dealt with their own anxiety; due to generational issues, it could have been related to their professional career or economic future. That is to say, The anxious base is acquired through examples and behaviors learned at home, mostly That is why the same concern is not faced in the same way by everyone, nor is the way to find possible solutions.
How to deal with the problem?
Those who face problems in such a way that, although they are part of the problem, they have also learned to be part of the solution, are more prepared to live this reality in a different way and to find possible, real and valuable measures aimed at solutions.
Among these measures is participation in organized activist communities, participating in NGOs, for example, taking care to know if the clothes we buy are sustainable, looking for ways to recycle, these are very healthy ways to put our “eco” ideals into practice. without it becoming an obsession but rather an action
The inclusion of companies to take ‘Eco’ measures would allow them to prophylactically reduce situations that disturb their proper functioning in terms of human capital, especially if they belong to the age group most affected by this issue.
ecoanxiety It is not yet considered in diagnostic classification manuals such as DSM 5 or ICD-11, as a disorder, the argument supported to maintain this measure is that since it is a real reason that triggers said symptoms, it cannot be included. I think this will vary over time and this reason will be reviewed.
Some of the expressions that can be collected from people who suffer from ecoasity are that, for example, the mere thought of starting their car causes them anxiety and guilt.
The possibility of educating positively and raising awareness that every act counts and has its mark It is a way to counteract hopelessness. Currently, messages related to climate change are negative and catastrophic and increase fear of a discouraging future.
Regarding the particularity of the office, the idea is to help the patient manage the catastrophic thoughts and ideas that they have associated with their fear, coupled with psycho-physiological deactivation activities, such as breathing and relaxation exercises to relieve palpitations and the sensation of drowning Promoting hope by channeling it into concrete actions from the personal and from companies and institutions, promotes not only the mental health of those who are affected, but obviously for all of us who inhabit this generous and patient planet.
