I’ve always understood that ‘May you live in interesting times”, said with ironic tone, is an English translation of an old Chinese curse but, according to Wikipedia, I am wrong. Research into Chinese expressions suggests that the closest we can get is an expression from the 17th century that translates as “better to be a dog in times of tranquility than a human in times of chaos.” I reckon that’s close enough!
“Interesting times” are not good times
“Interesting times” are troubled times and we have indeed seen a bit of trouble lately. Even if we exclude international politics from the discussion, there is still trouble all around and not least of it is the once-safe subject of the weather.
As I write this I am waiting for Tropical Cyclone Alfred. By the time you read it the cyclone will have come and gone. Speculation is already rife about how much climate change has contributed to Alfred’s development and his unusual nature. The believers and the deniers are out in force.
Whatever you believe about climate change and the human contribution to it, its hard to deny that recent intense weather events have been causing a lot of physical and psychological distress.
What’s happening to the weather?
It’s not all about cyclones. Take the less spectacular occurrence of heatwaves for example. We know that hot weather increases suicide, self-harm and interpersonal violence. There are complex reasons for the distress that a heatwave causes, but it may also be simply because the hot nights severely disrupt sleep.
Heatwaves are easy to understand as a product of our warming planet but what about cyclones?
According to the Climate Council of Australia, a warmer planet will decrease the frequency of tropical cyclones. That’s the good news. However, our warming seas will increase the intensity of the tropical cyclones that do occur. They will come with more rain and stronger winds; the cyclone season will extend and tropical cyclones will range further southward. TC Alfred seems to be exemplifying all of this.
Challenges to the climate conversation
A 2023 Orygen study showed that 50% of young Australians were worried about climate change. One in four were very worried. Those who were distressed were experiencing conditions ranging from eco-anxiety to PTSD. Climate conversations are necessary in clinical practice.
Interestingly in 2023 10% of Australians remained sceptical about climate change and the reasons for that probably extend beyond ignorance of the facts.
An elderly person I know insists that climate change is a figment of the media’s imagination and if the media would just stop stirring people up climate distress would go away. It is interesting to see that she also struggles with unacknowledged guilt about what her generation has done to the world. Every conversation about climate change leaves her at risk of distress herself, so denial is her only option. The other challenge for her is that changing anything about her lifestyle just requires too much effort. “Even if I believed I needed to change the way I live I just don’t have the energy to do it”
Climate anxiety is not a clinical disorder
Eco- anxiety is a rational response to an existential threat. For most people it is a great motivator to action – action that can make a difference. As clinicians and members of the community the best response we can make to someone experiencing climate-related anxiety is to validate their concerns and encourage action.
Eco-anxiety can evolve into a clinical condition. Non-adaptive coping such as using alcohol or other substances to manage emotional distress create their own problems. Depression may occur when excessive preoccupation leads to overwhelm.
Three important categories of coping are worth remembering:
Emotional coping
Whilst eco-anxiety is normal it is also uncomfortable. Most people will need to be reminded to look after themselves from an emotional perspective. Healthy lifestyle, stress reduction activities, relaxation and creative activities are all important. They are certainly better ways to cope than denial, distraction and substance abuse.
Problem-focussed coping
Problem-focussed coping can be positive or negative.
Positive problem-focussed coping involves learning, collaborating with others and taking meaningful action. (This includes everything from avoiding plastics to installing solar cells, from voting in favor of the planet to political activism.)
Negative problem-focussed coping includes excessive preoccupation, doomscrolling and engaging in unsustainable climate-related activities that interfere with other parts of life.
Meaning-focussed coping
Meaning-focussed coping involves conscious effort. Finding role models and sources of hope and inspiration can be helpful. More recently I’ve also found that looking at the way people managed adverse events in the past can be helpful in promoting a more positive and optimistic mindset. During Covid there were the stories from the Spanish flu to lean on. Looking back in time helps understand that a “new world order” is something survivable. Historical examples of communities pulling together to solve a “wicked” problem are helpful.
Looking for hope
Whatever your choice of coping strategy it is useful to underpin those strategies with a search for things that give you hope.
All too often we see the doom and gloom and ignore the positive stories. Pollyanna with her bright and irrational positivity has no place in the conversation, but solid examples manageable change and action worth taking may help overcome the barriers to the climate conversation and inject the energy for change.
Resources
Exploring Mental Health and Climate Change through Art
(a workshop guide is designed to help people process their emotions and share their experiences through creative expression)
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