summer, “we see waves of people who are struggling to project themselves into a future that seems increasingly bleak”, relates the psychiatrist Antoine Pelissolo, head of department at the CHU Henri-Mondor de Créteil and co-author of the book The emotions of climate changeSunday August 7 on franceinfo, while France is affected by a severe episode of drought.
franceinfo: Cases of eco-anxiety (climate change anxiety) do they increase significantly in the face of droughts, heat waves or fires?
Antoine Pelissolo: Every year, unfortunately, somewhat at the same time, especially in summer, we accumulate more and more of this type of climatic event, both severe and close to us, on our territory, and we see waves of people who find it difficult to project themselves into a future that seems increasingly bleak. The first blow is a blow of stress, a shock, but some will also enter a kind of tunnel of anxiety, anguish and at times also of depression when there is a loss of hope. The term eco-anxiety was born in the 2000s in the United States and it is now being talked about more and more because the number of people affected is increasing. We see many people who have this theme in their panoply of anxieties. For some, it is even the main subject, especially among young people. Surveys show that this area of concern is starting to become more and more prevalent.
What profile do the people who suffer the most have?
It can affect everyone, we see it of all ages, but it is mostly people who are between 20 and 30 years old because they feel impacted, concerned in their own existence. In the tens of years to come, the temperature which increases, the resources which decrease can impact their existence.
“While previous generations thought mostly of their children or grandchildren, today there is a realization that it can affect your own life.”
Antoine Pelissolo, psychiatristat franceinfo
It raises the question of having children or not, the mode of consumption, the choice of work. These are legitimate questions but which, in some cases, go beyond questioning. It can be something inhibiting that causes great suffering for some.
What attitude to adopt to gain serenity?
What we advise is first to get help when it is necessary. There is a possibility of better managing one’s stress in the face of this subject as in the face of others. The question of speech is important, sharing, being able to be heard.
“There’s fear but there’s also anger at the overall inaction, guilt as well.”
Antoine Pelissoloat franceinfo
It’s good to share them with others who can hear them. It’s not always easy because we sometimes come across people who are still in denial about global warming. In addition, you have to align your actions with your concerns. It’s always the way out. This is how you manage to transform your anxiety into something that can be rather productive where you are useful, you feel useful.
Should eco-anxious people stop learning about global warming?
As with all information that is negative, we cannot close our eyes. Doing the ostrich is not a good strategy. You can’t tell people not to find out. Awareness always comes from researching information, reading, IPCC reports on global warming… But you have to know how to channel, not to expose yourself permanently. At the start, the shock of becoming aware often needs to explore everything, to try to have all the elements on the ways of acting and on the consequences. What we generally advise is to put a damper on it, to give yourself time to disconnect from information and to take the time to mature things, to take a little distance. But that is valid for all the information that can be distressing.