From reports of large-scale tree clearance in Maharashtra’s Sahyadri forests for a Torrent Power project to concerns over the loss of nearly a million trees and threats to giant leatherback turtles from the Great Nicobar Project, environmental destruction has repeatedly made headlines. In another case, reports alleged that the illegal felling of around 40,000 trees for Google-linked data centres had driven wolves towards nearby villages in Finland. Meanwhile, mining projects in Chhattisgarh’s Hasdeo Arand forests, including PEKB, Parsa and Kente Extension, have raised concerns over their impact on forests and wildlife.
These are just some of the environmental concerns that have featured prominently in major newspapers recently, raising a larger question: How much of our natural environment are we willing to sacrifice in the name of development?
Forests are being cleared, coral reefs are deteriorating, microplastics are being detected in marine habitats, and wild animals are increasingly entering human settlements as their natural habitats disappear. For many, these are not simply headlines to read and move on from. The constant stream of environmental news can have a significant impact on mental health, fuelling anxiety, distress and fears about the future. This way of the climate crisis affecting mental health is known as ‘eco-anxiety’.
The American Psychological Association (APA) describes eco-anxiety or ecological anxiety as ‘the chronic fear of environmental cataclysm that comes from observing the seemingly irrevocable impact of climate change and the associated concern for one’s future and that of next generations.’
People of various age groups experience eco-anxiety, including those who have first-hand experience of climate change and those who read or listen to the experiences; in the younger generation, eco-anxiety skyrockets. According to reports on a study conducted by ‘Force of Nature’, a UK-based youth non-profit organisation founded in 2019, an estimated 70 per cent of young people feel hopeless due to the climate crisis. 56 per cent of them believe that humanity is doomed, and only 26 per cent feel that they will be able to contribute to finding solutions.
Another closely associated term is ‘solastalgia’, where people experience distress due to the degradation of their home environment or negatively perceived environmental change.
Not all experience eco-anxiety the same way; for those on the front line of the climate crisis, such as those facing extreme drought, wildfires or floods, the effects will be magnified. Along with them, those who are highly aware of the environmental hazards happening and the long-lasting consequences that may come as the aftermath of present actions may be adversely affected.
One common element is the experience of grief one might feel for the planet, along with the excruciating guilt of not being able to prevent or act against the destruction unfolding before their eyes.
The general symptoms listed by Dr CJ John, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist, Medical Trust Hospital, Ernakulam, are:
He also observes that there are cases where people show signs of suffocation or even depression. Those who experience the direct hit of the climate crisis also show symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), adds Dr John.
According to data from the US Global Change Research Program, people with eco-anxiety may also go through episodes of intense, unexplainable anger, reduction in social cohesion, rise in allergies, social instability and so on.
Those who are directly affected by the climate crisis might need the help of a mental health expert or adequate therapy, depending on the intensity of the impact. They might need counselling to avoid negative thoughts and stress; pills might be suggested for sleep disturbances, and mental exercises and other modifications will be suggested for those with PTSD.
Coming to tackling eco-anxiety on a personal level, the primary thing to do is self-affirmation. Tell yourself that even though the guilt you experience is real, there is a limit to how you can operate as an individual in bringing about global change. Even when we can do our part to create a large-scale impact, politicians, entrepreneurs, global leaders, and many others should come together and implement sustainable changes.
Next is to restrict doomscrolling. Dr John also suggests practising breathing exercises, listening to calming music, and regular exercise to reduce the psychological impacts.
The prime challenge for a person with eco-anxiety is to avoid the guilt they feel regularly; for that, one can adopt conscious changes in their own life and how they operate in society. Some of the ways are: