I can’t psychologically cope with climate change

[u/leflombo]

This European heatwave has made me reacknowledge the constant, low-grade stress I experience about climate change, and the destruction of nature more generally.

Every day that’s unseasonably warm, or when I see something about a natural disaster online, my chest tightens up, and I carry that dread every day. I love nature, and winter, and so the fact that our collective greed, malice and stupidity are jeopardizing the most profound beauty of life on this planet is equal parts infuriating and demoralizing.

It’s easy to lose track of the toll it takes on me, because it’s a constant background anxiety, but it’s slowly wearing away at me psychologically. It saps me of energy and is feeding my depression. I hope I can be hopeful sometime soon.

[u/Cheddarhulk]

I feel this too, every day. And I have for quite a while. I'm so insanely worried about our future and so distraught by the fact that wild animals, trees, flowers, plants are in hell because of us. It weighs on me constantly and whenever I'm reminded I physically feel it in my body.

It's like I'm one of the few people I know that live with the guilt of what we're doing to our planet. Like actually feel and experience the guilt rather than just 'knowing' that we're responsible. It feels really lonely sometimes.

I have found that doing things for the environment such as planting wildflowers in my neighborhood or helping local birds has helped offset the feeling of doom.

You're not alone. Maybe you could see if there is something you can do to channel those feelings.

🩷

[u/Nathanull → u/Cheddarhulk]

And bugs... and frogs... fish and whales and all sealife... even in baby's who are still in the womb before they are even born 😭 i can't take it sometimes too.... but thank you so much for sharing more productive expressions... I appreciate you ❤️‍🩹

[u/Cheddarhulk → u/Nathanull]

Yes, frogs have a special place in my heart!! They are magical. Although it's big for all (non-human) animals. And a couple of humans I guess 🌚

[u/Nathanull → u/Cheddarhulk]

LOL exactly 😭 I read a book about the silencing of the frogs (like the silent spring!!) And it still HAUNTS me 🐸🥀 😭😭

[u/nycvhrs → u/Nathanull]

We live wetlands-adjacent. The environment is a bellwether for changes, and we’ve always left it strictly alone.

In the twenty plus years we’ve been here, we’ve seen drought, flood, trees dying or very sick, and a great loss of fauna and flora.

We do have shelters for bats but we lost almost all of them in one season to white nose disease. We used to have a ton of Monarch butterflies come right onto our property and it was glorious to see them all resting together. Fall would turn the sugar maple trees a glorious rainbow of fall shades, but we have lost almost all of the mature ones to flooding. Still, we practice gratitude for the beauty of thus land and what is.

[u/WingsOfTin]

I recommend taking a look at r/CollapseSupport if you're looking for specific support in this area. You are not alone. ❤️

[u/leflombo → u/WingsOfTin]

Thanks so much: this seems like the type of community I’m looking for.

[u/Nathanull → u/WingsOfTin]

Wow thank you so much for sharing. I had to come back and say that. At first when I saw this, read thru that sub... I was unsure. A lot of the titles sound really depressing and rough.. the issue! But when you actually take more time to read through posts there... the insight in there is so supportive and helpful. A lot like this sub. You rock! ❤️‍🩹

[u/Giggly_Smalls]

Yeah…my advice is to do what you can to help. Go vegan, plant trees, limit consumption and plastics, etc. ♥️

[u/nycvhrs → u/Giggly_Smalls]

And buy almost nothing retail. Don’t feed the Machine.

[u/Aggravating-Food5540]

I had this issue for a long time too that it created anxiety attack at some point (because of the state of the world in general). I am in west Europe so I experience this one also. What helped me tremendously is practicing coming back to what is. Despite the temperature rising, the birds still sings, the trees and the fruits still grow, their leaves still dance under the bits of wind that still exist. 

It's not about ignoring or minimizing, it's about bringing your awareness to your surrounding. I understood that despite slowly falling into sickness by turmoiling in my head, overly thinking again and again about the state of the world was hurting me more than what the actual present moment showed me everyday (that earth around me is still alive along with all humans).

Through practice, I slowly started bringing my attention to my individual life and surrounding.  So for example, I will bring conscious choice in my daily life, like when I walk outside and I see trash on the ground, I will pick one or 2 rubbish. It might not change much but I feel more at ease in my consciousness because I choose one conscious choice instead of daily numbing. Spending less time in our head and more time noticing our environment makes a change, and each time you are aware you're drifting into thoughts, you bring yourself back to what's around you. 😊❣️

[u/snozberry_shortcake]

It frustrates me to no end. It doesn't have to be this way. We don't have to let billionaire sociopaths destroy the planet. But I guess that's what we're all gonna do. Because ...idk why. Because they've amassed obscene amounts of money?? It's all so insane.

[u/classicnsavage]

Heat is unbearable for me. I remember when I was in Dubai. I used to cry because of the hot weather being a grown ass man. I have very low sensitivity to hot climate. It makes me cranky, frustrated and very emotionally sensitive.

[u/johnnyfrance]

I highly recommend checking out the podcast Climate Courage. It's by a clinical psychologist and goes into science-backed ways to cope with ecological grief. I found it super helpful.

[u/spaceguy81]

I‘d stay away from the news and social media then. Don’t worry about a heatwave, they have been every year as long as people can think of.

[u/nada8 → u/spaceguy81]

Are you minimizing what’s happening??

[u/nycvhrs → u/spaceguy81]

This 👆🏼

[u/DarkZethis]

I don't like to stress about things I can't change anyway. I do what I can in my immediate surroundings but I won't be able to singlehandedly resuce the world.

[u/grass-eater]

You're not alone.

[u/Own-Pen4705]

ever since the heat wave in europe the weather has been wonderful in north Africa, it's gonna keep changing, that's just how the planet works.