Eco-anxiety is a diagnosis taken seriously by the American Psychological Association (APA) which released the report Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Impacts, Implications, and Guidance (March 2017) describing eco-anxiety as 'a chronic fear of environmental doom'.
Victims in climate disasters--such as the Katrina Hurricane in Louisiana--suffered increases in suicide and suicidal ideation and develop pre-PTSD which develops into full-blown PTSD after the initial shock subsides. The effects following climate disasters were expected; however, they are also finding that people who have not undergone climate assault and live removed from these regions also have significant impacts on their mental health.
One section of the APA report that attracted my attention (and likely may resonate with many other kossacks) is how the climate emergency affects what the report terms individuals who are ‘Cassandras’. The APA report gives this as the meaning: With origins in Greek mythology, the Cassandra Syndrome occurs when valid warnings or concerns are dismissed or disbelieved.
In the Trojan War epic, Apollo had given Cassandra the gift of prophecy when she was a child. When she grew to full womanhood, she rebuffed the god when he tried to seduce her. In retribution, he cursed her with accurate prophecies which no one would credit as truth.
Those suffering from Cassandra Syndrome or tendencies can have strong feelings of frustration due to their inability to make others accept the reality of climate change and the absolute necessity of acting boldly and quickly to avert further damage in the future. It can—in short—be maddening. Knowing what we are up against as far as human nature goes may make it less frustrating and even give us the understanding to try different strategies.
In Across the Margins, Arthur Hoyle makes this observation about the Cassandra Mythology and its timeless meaning for us during the Anthropocene:
Regardless of the historical truth or fiction of the tale, the moral of the story resonates with another kind of truth—a truth about human nature. People do not like hearing predictions that contradict or threaten established certainties around which they have constructed a coherent and reassuring world-view. Cassandra was cursed because her purity led her to defy a god. Gods are figures of authority who demand obedience and subservience. As such, they embody entrenched and inflexible ideas, the unquestioned and unalterable norms and assumptions on which societies rely for order and stability. The Trojans prevented Cassandra from exposing the danger that awaited them in the belly of the horse because they regarded it as sacred, an offering to Athena, one of their immortal goddesses. To break it open would be an act of impiety, a taboo. Though the story of Cassandra and the Trojan horse is a fiction, history reminds us that resistance to unpopular ideas that question received wisdom is a human constant that has persisted across the ages.
We will be discussing strong emotions in this group, so ask for kindness and civility. No one response is better than another. We are all unique. We hope that by breaking through the climate silence, we can come to terms with our climate reality, support each other, and move forward with sanity and grace.
It is never a good idea to diagnose yourself with either a physical or mental health disease; however, you can recognize certain feelings and leanings in yourself to know yourself better for your own self care. Remember that we all have quirks; however, mental health difficulties that increase to the point where they interfere with your normal functioning are serious and should prompt you to see a professional.
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dailykos
Group founded by Angmar
Climate Change Anxiety Support Group
(A nonpartisan group in Kosability)
"Experts call it "climate grief"--
depression, anxiety and mourning over climate change.
According to a Yale survey taken this year, anxiety is rising in the U.S. over the climate. Sixty-two percent of people surveyed said they were at least somewhat worried about the climate, up from 49 percent in 2010. The rate of those who described themselves very worried was 21 percent, about double the rate of a similar study in 2015. nbcnews.com/…
(KosAbility: meets the last Sunday of each month at 4pm PT / 7pm ET. We are a volunteer diarist community of, by & for people living with disabilities, who love someone with a disability, or who want to know more about the issues. Our use of "disability" includes temporary as well as permanent health and medical conditions, from small, gnawing problems to major, life-threatening ones. Our use of "love someone" extends to cherished members of other species. Our discussions are open threads in the context of this community. Feel free to comment on the diary topic, ask questions of the diarist or generally to everyone, share something you've learned, tell bad jokes, post photos, or rage about your situation. Our only rule is to be kind; trolls will be spayed or neutered.)
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