Humans have not been prepared for the risk of such a dangerous existence for long.
When Sandy Rosendale and her husband because Hurricane Katrina is on the way, they packed up for 3 weeks.
They drove up to their two-story home in Uptown, New Orleans, and headed to a hotel, feeling safe, and getting ready for the next storm.
But as they confronted the disaster on the TV in their hotel room, something changed for Sandy. Suddenly, she couldn’t relax. She changed the news, and was unable to see, see or read.
“I was on the television set every waking minute,” she recalls. “This or the radio or reading. I was completely unable to see anything other than the news.
“It started when we found out that Lewis was gone and we weren’t going back home,” she continued. “I’m constantly working, constantly reading, constantly digging, asking questions.”
The series lasted 3 months. “I could not rest; I couldn’t see sitcoms I couldn’t participate in meaningless chat, “says Sandi.
At that time, Sandy thought it was a simple answer. Looking back, though, she resembles a nerve conductor.
“Years later, I realized I was affecting mental health,” she says.
Cindy’s experience eventually turned into a book, in words Whisper in Water: The Lives of Hurricane Katrina. But her story also serves as a warning that climate change will affect our mental health.
Table of Contents
Climate change makes severe weather events, such as hurricanes, worse
According to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, a warming world is expected to increase the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as summer waves, floods and hurricanes.
In fact, the national climate assessment of 2018 notes that the number and intensity of heat waves, heavy rains, and major storms have already increased.
Between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths each year, due to nutritional deficiencies, illnesses, diarrhea and heat stress.
What this means for mental health
According to a report, 25 to 50 percent of people are at risk of extreme weather disasters at risk of adverse health effects. The same report added that 54% of adults and 45% of children experience depression after a natural disaster.
Instant Effects
After Hurricane Katrina, for example, 49% of survivors developed anxiety or mood disorder. In addition, 1 in 6 developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and suicidal and suicidal thoughts increased.
Following natural disasters, psychologists explain why they call an impulsive response, which includes things like:
- Dreamless
- The ascent
- Increase in content usage
- Depression
While these reactions can be overwhelming and can heal over time, this is not always the case – especially if people do not seek direct help or cope with their trauma. In these cases, more severe mental health effects can occur, including PTSD, depression, and anxiety disorders.
This is especially true, explains Susan Clayton, professor of psychology and environmental studies at the College of Wooster, if people are already living with a mental health condition or have been affected many times by a natural disaster.
Gradual effects
Because climate change is causing slow changes in our planet, we are also beginning to see these gradual effects affect mental health over time.
A 2020 study relies on reliable sources of temperature as a source of increased risk of death for unintended and intentional injuries, including suicide.
Other 2017 research presents the relationship between severe heat and increased burns, aggression, and even violence.
According to a major 2019 study of people in the United States and Denmark, there may be a correlation between anxiety, schizophrenia, and personality disorders and poor air quality exposure.
However, research is still under way to determine how, exactly, air pollution affects mental health conditions.
Even if you are not well-affected, you may still feel the impact
Just watching the news or reading about climate change and natural disasters – or from loved ones who are experiencing severe weather events – can impact your mental health.
In 2019, 66% of people surveyed by the Yale Program on Climate Change are at least somewhat worried about climate change – a 10% increase from 2014.
“There is certainly evidence that people who have not had a direct impact are beginning to experience anxiety,” Clayton says.
Elsa Appel, Vice Chair of the Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences and the Faculty Leader of the Climate Change and Mental Health Task Force at the University of California, San Francisco.
Elsa Appell agrees. She is the Vice Chair of the Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences and is the Faculty Lead of the Climate Change and Mental Health Task Force at the University of California, San Francisco.
“Climate change is breeding seasonal distress and despair,” Apple says. This climatic problem, she continues, “is a complex set of aspects of emotional distress, including depression, anxiety, and depression.”
Some may feel better than others
This problem of climate change is especially important when it comes to young people.
A 2018 study suggests a link between reliable sources of climate change and the increased risk of children developing a range of mental health conditions, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and phobia.
“Our young people are already more emotionally vulnerable to the news that they are about things we cannot control,” Appel explains. “Whatever sounds like a baby, the younger the baby, the more vulnerable they are to feeling anxious because they are emotionally unable to handle the burden of weight and seasonal crises.”
But as these children become young, their concerns about climate change are not diminishing.
People living with chronic conditions and those most affected by climate change – such as people from lower socio-economic status, migrants, asylum seekers, first responders and non-refugees – also experience climate change. Are more likely.
What can we do to cope?
The effects of climate change are here to stay, and it is likely that things will get worse.
In September 2020, we will have the hottest September ever recorded (as of April 2021). Appellee indicates that, going forward, September 2020 may seem relatively inevitable as hotter temperatures continue to break.
“It is more realistic, but it is more rigorous and people are not prepared to face such a risky future,” she says.
Therefore, we try to ignore it. We reject it unless something compels us, once again, to face it. And those reminders are becoming more frequent and more urgent, from catastrophic wildfires to catastrophic storms.
You may not be able to counteract climate change, but there are steps you can take to protect your mental health.
Recognize your feelings
It’s okay to worry or be scared of how climate change can affect your life, your children’s lives, or the entire planet. Don’t hide those sentiments.
Instead, talk to friends and family. You may find that they share many of your problems, which can help you to feel less alone.
“Finding other people who also care, is important,” Clayton says.
Let your kids know that it’s okay to talk about their feelings, too
Avoiding the news about climate change is difficult, so it is important to let the children talk about what they give and what they see.
Let them ask questions and answer them honestly, but in a progressively appropriate manner.
“Parents and teachers can talk to them about the information in such a way that they can see the expectations and learn about all the good changes that are happening right now,” Appel says.
Not sure where to look for positive, age-appropriate news to share with your child? Harvard Climate Connections might be able to help.
Make a safety plan
You may feel out of control because of climate change. An effective way to get some of that control over is to make yourself – and your family – a little more flexible and prepared.
“You can try to get a sense of control by finding something that you can do, such as having bags ready to go if you are in a forest fire area so you can get out quickly,” Clayton says. General Chat Chat Lounge
You can also prepare your car, make an emergency plan, and furnish your home with protective equipment, such as fire extinguishers, water, flashlight, and hand-crank radios.
Join your community
An old study conducted during hurricane season in Florida shows that places where there was a strong sense of community led to less mental health problems after the storm.
If you do not feel you have a strong sense of community where you are, join local groups or organizations, whether it is a weekly exercise group or a neighborhood shopping group. Even something as simple as your neighbors can help you get to know them.
“Working at your local community level to help strengthen community infrastructure or social infrastructure can be beneficial in helping you to feel a sense of control,” Clayton says. “It can also advocate politically for a greater focus on climate change. It will help people because they feel a sense of agency.
Learn your triggers
“Anxiety is a habit,” says Michelle Newman, a professor of psychiatry and psychiatry at Pennsylvania State University. “People who are upset find things that upset them.”
She recommends learning what triggers these anxieties to indicate learning. Maybe it’s the images of houses destroyed by the storm or the stories of wildlife being affected by the forest fire.
Once you know what triggers you, you can eliminate your anxiety when it is no longer helpful to avoid learning – or limiting – your access to your target when you feel it. A lot is happening
This could mean limiting your news coverage or getting up with friends as they start talking about moving something.
Give yourself a break to avoid breakouts
Although it can be helpful to get involved in environmental causes because it gives you some agency in the face of high risk, burnout does not help anyone.
“Sometimes we all need to be different.” Clayton says. “It can mean taking a deep breath or finding things that will calm you down physically. Such as walking. Getting out in nature.” She adds.
In addition. She says. “Many roles can be a source of flexibility. So if you’re doing your part for climate change. Make sure you’re doing family things too. Making sure you’re gardening. Or engaging in extracurricular activities.
Find mental health care if you need it
If you are worried about the climate or the future of your life that is interfering with your life. There is help.
You can always talk to your doctor, a mental health specialist. Or a physician.
There are also online groups and courses, such as Appel and his colleagues are testing. “It’s a class.
- Good grief network
- Environmental Anxiety Stories
- Water spirits
Bottom line
If the effects of climate change are affecting your mental health, you are not alone.
Experts expect this trend to continue. But there are steps you can take to build resilience and mental well-being. Even if it feels like things are out of your control.
