Parent with eco-anxiety - help!

[Awhina24]

For the last few months I've been finding myself becoming increasingly anxious about climate change. I have suffered from anxiety and depression in the past which I'm sure just adds to my heightened emotions. It's at the point where I have nightmares most nights, wake up shaky and feel incredibly anxious all day, sometimes to the point where I cannot eat.

I have a 3 year old and keep asking myself why I was so foolish to bring a child into this world. My son wasn't planned but at the time I didn't want to have a termination. For context I'm a Kiwi and live in AU with my husband (also from NZ). We live in a smaller town outside of Melbourne. We haven't been directly affected by extreme weather but in my son's short life we've had bush fires, flooding and more flooding all nearby... as far as I'm aware things will only get worse from here. I'm so scared about what my family will have to face in the future, I feel like life is going to get very hard and very quickly (like in just a few years). I'm terrified that humanity is doomed and my son will have a future in some kind of kill or be killed world, that's if he has a future at all.

I'm desperate to move back to NZ to be closer to my family but my husband doesn't want to. He doesn't see climate change as some imminent threat and is mainly focused on his job (pretty much the only reason we live here). I'm currently in therapy but I've only just started with a new therapist and we've mainly talked about my homesickness. I've started doing things like consuming less, trying to buy local and plastic free products, growing some vegetables and biking to the train station but I can't help thinking it's not enough and none of it matters. We can't vote in Australia so I can't do much politically. I'd love to get solar, a rainwater tank and an electric car but my husband seems hesitant to spend any money.

Every news article makes it sound like it's too late and humanity is doomed to die out in anywhere from 5-100 years. I'm so scared and I'm struggling to function. I realize that climate anxiety is a privileged thing which makes me feel guilty for feeling this way (as in those directly effected don't get the luxury of worry about what may happen) Is there any hope? Do any other parents feel this way and how do you cope? How can I protect and prepare my son for life in a burning and flooding world?

[quirkywords]

Awhina24

Welcome to the forum and thsnks for sharing your thoughts. I have children and grandchildren. 
It is hard not to worry when every news item is full of bad news.

i lived through the fires in black summer and my home and shop was destroyed. Now I worry when I smell a candle. 
i have children and grandchildren and I worry about their future. 
it must be so hard being away from your family. 
i turn off news shows and on,y watch or listen to positive thoughts. 

I am listening to you. 

[Croix]

Dear Awhina24~

Welcome back. I guess there are two problems, the condition of the world, whether it be war or climate change, and your own reactions to it.

These are matters you have struggled with for some time

I remember you saying that you'd no longer watch the news. I thought that was very sensible as it is always full of horrible things. Such constant reminders simply prod anxiety further

There are reasonable precautions you can take depending on where you live in and if it is prone to fire or floods,they basically consist of standard practices as advised by the Fire authority or the SES. They normally recommend the things and vegetation around your home, plus a plan so if there is a disaster looming, you do not have to think, just follow a list

There's not much else you can do on that front, there are however other things you can do to make yourself feel more at ease

I've had therapy and medications for a very long time, and my anxiety condition is very much under control. It did not happen straight away, it took not only time but the right medical persons, ones who were sensible and whom I trusted

I did not stop at the first couple of meds buy kept on trying until I was given one that sited me, and I've now been on it for years

You may have seen this before but it can't hurt to look again for the short term attacks and sleep problems

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety/treatments-for-anxiety/anxiety-management-strategies

On those occasions I use a free smartphone app called Smiling Mind. This has exercises to distract you and break that loop of anxious thoughts. It has something to suit everyone, even someone with the attention span of a gnat -such as me

https://www.smilingmind.com.au/smiling-mind-app/

Once that chain of thoughts is broken I have something ready to occupy me straight away before the thoughts return, perhaps a specific book, tv episode, playing with a pet, or talking with my partner or others

I am sure that if you and your husband thought abut it you could come up wiht a list of specific things to use

Croix

[ecomama]

Dear Awhina24, welcome to the forums & a belated welcome to Oz! lol. 

As you can tell from my username, I'm an ecomama too! 

Anxiety is fear of the future. Depression comes from reliving the past (even yesterday's news). 

All we have is NOW so leaning into all we have in this moment, mostly in our relationships, is strengthening our everything for the future. 

Switch the drama llamas off. News is designed to instil fear and terror in people, that's how it's sold so much. 
It creates an addiction to drama in people. 

One we can do without. 

What you CAN do is all you are doing. 
You will feel far more empowered, which is STRENGTH Based, by joining up with any local eco groups. 

I'll list a few in a sec. By joining up with like minded people, you will exponentially effect change whilst simultaneously calming anxiety. You will never feel alone in this again. WE are AWESOME! hahaha. 

Here's a few you can look into: 
~ any and all local Community Gardens, they often have workshops and working bees and spread into SCHOOLS yay! That's what we WANT! 
~ Permaculture. omg AMAZING! Life saving stuff. Groups meet up in differing ways. Delightful! GLOBAL. 
~ LETS Networks, you may have a local one. You can ask on here more about these. If I see your questions, I'll answer them. GLOBAL. 
~ Same with Freecycle. Give usable stuff away. Ask for stuff instead of buying new. GLOBAL. 
~ local co-ops promoting "locavore" as a lifestyle. Buying only locally grown foods which dramatically reduces our food miles. In fact growing your own anything really decreases them lol. Oh so GLOBAL and awesomely primitive too! 
~ just as does having recycled containers used for worm farms and putting everything in there including old clothes! We have 2 old baths as worm farms. 

~ composting. Lol GLOBAL. 
~ learning about Biodynamics. Global too. 

In each of these groups there are Global Networks joyfully supporting others in greening our earth. You can get free training at times, to help spread the word. I received a grant to study Permaculture and got my PDC and to study Biodynamics which is MAGICAL lol. 

No need to wander in despair when your pro-active tribes are eagerly awaiting your arrival. :-)))

Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth" is a beautiful read. 

Love EM