Societal Dysfunction, Climate Change, The Impact Of Eco-Anxiety, Climate Grief, Collective Trauma - What May Be Happening Inside The British Medical Journal describes eco-anxiety as a chronic fear of an environmental doom. We impact on the world (the inner affects the outer) and the world impacts on us (the outer impacts the inner). Valuing community, creation, life itself, all life, we may be personally and collectively be anxious about the planet, experience global grief. Many beliefs, assumptions and systems may be counterproductive to civilisation thriving, evolving. Examples may include inflexible, concrete thinking, the way we treat the planet, traditional left and right politics, money management (e.g. fractional reserve banking - loaning money that doesn't exist, qualitative easing - the artificial printing of money), excessive pride, narcissism. We may overlook that land gives us life and we co-create it, yet we may experience separateness and feel alienated from the dominant forces in the world, its emphasis on individualism when it discounts, community, environment, the planet. We may also be grieving humanity, unbalanced, unnatural and disrespectful ways of living. We may acknowledge lack of collective responsibility, global cooperation in psychologically dysfunctional societies, unsustainable social structures rooted in power dynamics in an inherently win-lose game, injustice, social inequality, where economic imbalance and profit, unhealthy competition is unaligned to human needs, or a softer, yet powerful, way of living. We may witness injustices, collective greed, narcissism and individualism, which harms other people and the planet, and is out of tune with community, the wider world, interdependence, interconnectedness. We may be affected by values system in society, that just aren't fit for purpose, alongside globalisation, privatisation of state assets, omnipotent thinking, rampant consumerism, where military might, nuclear weapons that can destroy the planet, financial institutions, economic growth and a one-size-fits-all expert system, denies local knowledge, ancient wisdoms of indigenous people who make no separation between mind, body, earth. Misuse of AI, biotechnology, genetic engineering may also concern us. Dystopian systems of conflict, control, oppression are not working. We may feel duped for going along with corrupt forces, misguided leadership, failure to adapt and take heartfelt, conscious action above party politics, political polarisation. (The climate is in action, yet we may experience our leaders' inaction with vacuous, warm words without deeds or no serious global leadership.) There is more of a globalised financial system than a globalised response to climate change beyond selfish national interests and borders, which the climate doesn't recognise. Distorting statistics, countries and companies try to show carbon neutral they are and what a great job they are doing, yet meanwhile the planet speaks a different language and there is a disconnection between the two. We too may have lost connection with others and the rest of the world, our own sense of belonging, been living as if separate from our body, each other and the environment. Understandably, we may feel disturbed by attitudes, actions (and non-actions) about earth's natural resources, nature. We may have a strong reaction to what we care about, including short-termism and lack of immediate and long term, sustainable action (carbon offsetting that looks impressive only on paper, camouflaging meaningless, placatory soundbite targets, which are modest and ineffective decades ahead). Inside we, and much of the society, may feel in collective shock, traumatised. We may blame ourself, feel guilty, ashamed. Self-forgiveness may be in short supply. We personally didn't agree for the way the world treats the planet and we are never going to change the climate on our own. We may have lots of feelings, reactions, thoughts, ideas in terms of the uncertainty of what's happening to the planet, how to create, healing, and the energy of the planet through energy work - for where we put our attention, energy flows. And it can be as if we overlook that each human being and nature are the same - not separate. We may judge ourself, also guilt, shame, feel fearful, frustrated, angry, outraged, grief, heartbreak. Reactions can be counterproductive if we remain immobilised, stuck, hopeless in this place or see people, countries either as good or bad. We may need a new paradigm.
Contacting The Counsellor in London Feel free to ring for an initial chat 020 7916 1342 or email me to arrange a meeting at my London counselling practice based in Camden, near Kings Cross. As well as in-person counselling I can offer Skype counselling, online counselling as another option.
For full details about climate change or eco-anxiety therapy and the Counselling for climate grief in London, Camden, Kings Cross service, my desktop website refers
