I am panicking about Climate Change

[Spl spl]

Hey all,

Just a heads up, if you are wondering why I am panicking because climate change happens 'in other countries', 'not happening for hundreds of years', or just 'not possible', then I highly encourage you to research it (the IPCC 2019 report). Obviously don't if you're going to panic like I'm about to talk about, just that in Australia particularly there has been abysmal public education on climate change and there are a lot of myths and lies out there, of which are spread by the fossil fuel industry.

Anyway, Australia's the only country in the world right now without a plan to tackle climate change-- at all. If you've noticed the government hasn't helped the victims of the fires at all. Also weird political things are happening, like attempts to quickly pass laws that are against fundamental human rights like outlawing unions & climate protests.

Also more evidence has been coming out recently that scientists predictions for climate change are accurate. Which means those fires raging over east are now normal weather events, and will continue to get worse year after year. I am not kidding. I am freaking out about this. Constant anxiety attacks, panicking, I feel like vomiting. It feels like people are just letting this slide and no ones standing up to how corrupt this is 😞 It would be fine if we switched to renewable energy and stopped coal/oil/gas production which would greatly decrease carbon level in the atmosphere (causing climate change). So at least the level of danger would stay the same and not get worse.

But no, that not happening. It's not. I'm terrified. I have severe asthma. I'm so scared. I'm 19, this is my life. I'm trying to take action but theres nothing going on in my city this week >:| and just, I need tips to just manage this panic. I'm not sleeping, eating much, relationships have suffered. Not looking after myself after finding this out. My whole life feels fake now. Because in a few years its all going up in smoke. That's not a possibility, it's a scientifically proven inevitability.

I understand ignoring climate change for your mental health. Seriously, I get it. That used to be me. But right now I can hardly rip my attention from the horror unfolding in front of me. I don't know if Australia will be 1st world country for much longer. "Democratic" for much longer. "Safe" for much longer. I feel so unsafe. I just want to feel safe. I just want to sleep.

Any advice...?

Thanks

spl

[therising]

Hi Spl

I have a strong opinion regarding the motives of those who bring us to a state of fear, as opposed to taking us into a world of inspiration. I see how much the information out there upsets you so intensely and this is exactly why I can't stand the fear mongering the media helps fuel. It overshadows the incredible work that is going on behind the scenes regarding positive change. This work is progressive yet we don't hear much about it. One example involves work being done in small 3rd world communities that involve solar panels. With solar panels on every roof top, a small community has access to natural energy that supports greater production than what that community has ever experienced before. Such a thing may not represent the sort of progress we'd like to see globally but it shows us there are folk out there making a conscious difference in the way of natural energy. Their motive? To inspire and support.

We can see plenty of climate change protests happening with poor leadership. I believe the ideal leader must lead us to inspiration not fear and must lead us to unique ways to motivate both business and government into changing their ways. A great leader must lead us to true progress and a sense of awareness that empowers us whilst we face the current challenges. The last thing we need is more fear. If people are going to demonstrate their intolerance, I would like to see demonstrations that dictate 'We will strike (take time off school or work and so on) until the government commits more money and greater awareness in the direction of researchers in natural energy who are making positive progress'. Nothing is to be gained, other than fear, when people publicly demonstrate their belief that 'The planet is in trouble!' This becomes an unproductive statement and nothing else.

Spl, if you begin looking at a lot of the research regarding how much is actually being done by the men and women who are taking positive and productive action, I hope this inspires you. Action may be slow but it is definitely happening. Maybe you could find an area where you want to dive in and help the cause.

The Australian government...hmm, they've had a long history when it comes to being slow off the mark in some areas regarding progress (public transport system, internet, outdated school system etc). If only they were as advanced in natural energy implementation as they are in the field of medical research.

Don't lose hope, gain inspiration 🙂

[Birdy77]

Dear spl,

I can hear the fear & sense of panic in your words.

Feeling unsafe is a very scary feeling to have.

Climate change anxiety is a thing, you are definitely not alone.

When you are thinking of all the stuff that is going on globally, & the trajectory of the climate emergency, it of course can feel extremely overwhelming and frightening.

I have had sleepless nights as well, i do understand your fear and distress.

What i think is helpful in those times is:

- we can't make positive & insired change when we are in a state of panic. So when you are feeling panicked & unsafe, ground yourself: bring yourself back to this present moment & remind yourself that at this very moment, you are ok. There are grounding exercises you can try. They will help you with your panic & bring you back to a headspace in which you can do good for the planet.

- bring the focus down to what You Can Control. Every action & choice we make on a daily basis can help or harm. Look at the things in your everyday life that you can do to make things better. Choices about the things you buy, the food you eat, the bank you keep your money with, transport decisions ... all those things are within your control & make a difference one way or another.

- join in with like-minded people to gain inspiration (hi therising) & inspire others. An example might be to join the Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) & get involved with their actions.

- be an example to others. All your everyday actions and choices can inspire others.

You cannot fix this emergency on your own, & it is frustrating that those in power are not doing enough.

But it's important for you to take care of your anxiety so that you can be the passionate, grounded, powerful advocate that you clearly are.

We need young people like you, and we need you to nurture yourself and your mental health so you can be strong and be the change you wish to see in this world.

🌻birdy

[Eirenuu]

Hi spl,

I'm in the same boat as you with the asthma. I haven't been able to go outside much or get fresh air which is hard for me. Also, my main anxiety control techniques involve breathing, which is now difficult to do because of my asthma getting set off.

For that part specifically, I've tried making the most of the days that I can go outside. Getting fresh air when I can and keeping up with doctors appointments to manage my asthma. My work has suffered somewhat but they are being understanding.

I don't know what to do regarding the news etc. I try to watch the good news regarding what everyone is doing to try and help but I admit I haven't had much success. I will follow this thread closely.

[Spl spl]

Hi therising,

Thanks, your advice is good. I know I should be looking more at what's being done, because once you can see that, the feeling of despair lessens.

I guess I just feel like there is not much being done in Australia itself. Which is a problem, because Australia is a producer of fossil fuels. Other countries that don't produce fossil fuels can only do so much. You've got to cut the problem off at the source otherwise there's no stopping it.

Strike is a good idea. Still we're talking about changing the system of energy we've had in place for years, changing the power structure we've had for years. Even if its a good or a bad outcome, each countries role to play in the world will be different. I just... I don't know if I'll survive it. And even if I do, will my family and community be okay? Will I ever be able to live a semblance of a normal life again? We're happy to live peacefully now but when its all ripped away... I'm scared at how the general public doesn't seem to care.

Maybe humans will survive but Australia is one of the countries that's going to be hit first... I mean its 2019, and outside of fire season a fire bigger than the city of Sydney was born right outside the cities edges. And our govt does nothing. And our media ignores it, makes the fire seem smaller than how it actually is. Tells people not to put on masks which is stupid. How many people will have to die for things to change?

I know we still have time but really not much. It's not looking good honestly.

I will look at what other countries are doing, I know its global, it's a team effort. Just, in Australia... we're talking about kids + civilians trying to take down a billion dollar hundred year old industry backed by the military and the media and foreign interest.................... sorry for ranting. Your advice was good honestly.

I am not kidding when I say that this panic/anxiety has been the biggest I've felt-- ever. I feel like nothing is calming me down. Keep trying to meditate and listen to calming music. Keep trying to talk to people. People talk to me like climate change is a political issue. Like you can have opinions on it. Like its debatable. Like it's not going to kill me. I'm just tired, sorry.

[Spl spl]

Hi birdy,

Thanks for understanding, and the different points of advice you gave. You're right, my thought process is definitely more along the lines of 'this is me vs world' rather than a group effort. Maybe because I haven't really talked to anyone that's part of a group like AYCC. The doctor I talked to yesterday said to me, 'don't become extremist about it', telling me greenpeace was an extremist group... Haha, I don't know how I couldn't become extreme about this. I feel like I would do anything to stop it. It's like every brain cell of mine is honed in to this, has been for a month now. I guess yesterday was the breaking point...

I'm saying that this anxiety/panic is so large that little actions aren't satisfying it. I did a lot of reading. Little actions only do so much. We need worldwide structural change or there's no going back. After a certain amount of carbon is locked in to the atmosphere, no matter what we do, Earth will just keep getting hotter and hotter. There's a time limit of a few years (8-9). less than a decade. I'm terrified. I know we'll probably make it, human instinct is made for survival, just....... I just want to live a normal life.... not deal with people being too stubborn to embrace the change we need.

It's been 30-40 years of science saying we need to do it, it's so stupid. It could have been a relatively harmless shift to renewable with little difference in how we all live our everyday life. But no. They have to wait until the last second. Risk the human race going extinct. Wait for millions of people to die, ecosystems to die, and even if they do change there's only a 66% chance of us making it. It's stupid! I don't want to think about being potentially one of the last few generations of humans

You're right that I need to take care of myself. Everything just feels really fake, you know? But yeah yesterday I was feeling really faint from not eating and sleeping or drinking water. So I've at least gotta do that. Thanks for your reply, I'll try my best to not get caught in this negative thought loop.

[Spl spl]

Hi Eirenuu,

Your understanding means so much, thank you. I have seen there are blogs, reddit subs, fb groups, etc that only focus on the good stories. Maybe that will be useful for you.

Yeah the asthma is what's really messing me up. Like, I see what's happening in Sydney (I don't even live there but there is a faint smell of smoke in my city which just freaks me out tbh) and after seeing their air quality... it's like those breathing exercises don't work as well. Because every time a meditation exercise tells me to breathe deeply, my mind just immediately goes to the thought that if there was a bushfire close to here, I wouldn't be able to breathe like that. And it spikes my anxiety.

Glad to see that people are understanding, I wish you all the best and hope you can get some good advice out of this thread.

[Birdy77]

Dear spl,

Please do not get me wrong, i am nkt saying there's nothing to panic about, I'm just saying that in order to do anything constructive, i think we need to take care of ourselves so that we can contribute to positive change, and part of that is looking at we we can do in our own lives so that we don't feel completely overwhelmed.

That being said, i often feel overwhelmed on a daily basis.

I know you said that one person doing good things is not enough, and gloval structures need to be revolutionised, and i agree, but we are all resposible for our part in this as well, and that is what we have control over, so it can help with the anxiety side of things.

There are two threads here on the forums that might interest you, one is called "Is depression a natural reaction to an insane world" and the other is called "Animal cruelty, climate change, monoculture ... the list goes on". They're both in the Long Term Support over the Journey section.

I think if you get involved in AYCC or other things, it might help you.

If you google help with climate change anxiety, there are lots of really helpful resources and suggestions. As i said, it's "a thing", and will continue to be a thing.

Keep being passionate and engaged - we need people like you.

🌻birdy

[Spl spl]

Hi birdy,

Thank you so much for the resources, I'll check them out. Sorry about freaking out on you a bit, I did understand what you said don't worry 🙂 you're really understanding, thanks so much.

I agree that we're all responsible for our own part in this. What you said about taking care of ourselves is so true. You can't take care of others without taking care of ourselves.

Thank you,

spl

[Birdy77]

Dear spl,

There is a helpful pdf document available on the Australian Psychologists Society (APS) website, called:
"Coping with climate change distress"
outlining some useful begavioural, relational, cognitive and emotional strategies for dealing with the anxiety you have been experiencing. Check it out.

The APS also recently (November 2019) published a report:
"Young People's Voices in the Climate Crisis".
That is also available on their website, and it might help you to see that a) you're not alone, and b) there is action around these issues and you can get involved.

I hope you are feeling a little bit better and that you've been eating some healthy food today and drinking plenty of water - you're an important advocate for our planet, and we need you to take good care of yourself.

🌻birdy