In the Developing Field of Climate Psychology, ‘Eco-Anxiety’ Is a Rational Response
In the Developing Field of Climate Psychology, ‘Eco-Anxiety’ Is a Rational Response
Some therapists have found that cognitive behavioral therapy, designed to help patients see that they are “catastrophizing,” isn’t enough because the potential impacts of climate change are truly catastrophic.
CBT’s strength is its ability to help people sort through their thoughts and figure out where their perception may have become distorted, and what feelings and actions stem from that.
But this doesn’t work for eco-anxiety because climate distress is inherently logical. It comes from a place of empathy for others and a world that they recognize is “in really big trouble,” Davenport says.
I think I started therapy in late 2020 after seeing the horrifying response to COVID from countries and corporations. The visible lack of global cooperation ruined my mental health. To me, this implied that if we can't work together to deal with a global pandemic, then what hope is there for the environment?
My therapist kept pushing me to use CBT as a way to cope with the issues I brought up. I ended up feeling more worthless because I didn't understand why I was failing at yet another thing.
I don't think I ever went deep into conversation with my therapist about climate change. There were so many external stresses clouding my mind that I was unable to stay on one topic long enough to do any meaningful management of my thoughts. Since everyone around me were so unconcerned about the environment, I sort of played along. All I really could understand at the time was that learning and trying CBT felt more like CBT. I hated it.
I was thinking of finding another therapist since it felt like I hit a wall with my current one. Fortunately, through random chance I happened to find a couple people who shared my views. Through them I've come to terms with my climate anxiety. Accepting a lot of uncomfortable truths. About me, about my relationships and about the future in general.
My mood these days ranges from indifference to frustration but I'm no longer in the depths of depression that I used to be in. I'm hoping to use my past experiences to help others who have yet to experience these thoughts and anxieties when the time comes. I want to help in some way because that's what I like doing and what I think will be useful. It's one of the many little things I use to motivate myself to get through the days.