Anger, anguish, discouragement … Information on the evils of the planet, between the alarming latest IPCC report, forest fires, floods and heat waves as far as Siberia, give rise to cold sweats. And when anxiety overflows, some may be paralyzed in the face of an uncertain and bleak future.
In The emotions of climate change*, Antoine Pelissolo, psychiatrist and head of service at the
Henri-Mondor hospital (AP-HP), and Célie Massini, intern in psychiatry, dissect the reactions involved. And give some keys to managing post-traumatic stress when one is the victim of a climatic disaster or, from a distance, when one suffers from eco-anxiety. Antoine Pelissolo answered questions from 20 minutes.
Why did you want to draw attention to the emotions of climate change?
We usually talk about strong, short-term emotions. They are alarms that allow us to adapt to dangerous situations. But those concerning the future of the climate are complex and are part of the long term. However, these emotions will impact our adaptation to the world.
Science has shown that psychiatric disorders increase in the event of a natural disaster …
More and more recent data shows this. After floods, storms, some develop post-traumatic stress. A climatic disaster causes more psychological than physical disorders among its victims. This was documented after Hurricane Katrina, because the United States has more capacity to collect and analyze medical data. But in many developing countries, one can assume that it is the same thing.
Often, these tragedies cause lasting changes in lifestyle, uprooting. There may be disturbances at the time of the crisis, long-term repercussions and delayed psychic upheavals.
With the proliferation of climatic disasters, there is therefore a risk of having more and more patients affected. But beyond these direct victims, climate change affects our mental health in the long term and more discreetly …
It’s a multi-stage rocket. We know well the impact of the environment on our physical balance. But we know less that pollution has an effect on our mental health. There are twice as many cases of schizophrenia in the city as in the countryside. Certainly, many factors come into play: air pollution, noise, light, lack of nature, isolation …
Studies also note an increase in behavioral disorders (violence, anxiety, impulsivity, suicide attempt, etc.) when temperatures soar. It is noted during heat waves, but there can be a low noise effect with repeated droughts. Which in turn cause migrations, synonymous with significant mental disorders …
What are the various climatic disorders that you have spotted?
There are two fairly well known. Eco-anxiety, an anxiety that is prospective with the feeling that the future is blocked because of the destruction of our resources. These people have the impression that a page has turned and that this phenomenon is irreversible.
The second part is solastalgia, turned to the past. We also speak of ecological mourning, with the feeling of loss of a landscape, a place and a form of identity. This disorder is closer to depression.
One of the difficulties with these troubles is that we are part of the problem …
Yes, there is the notion of hyperresponsibility. And of guilt: we didn’t do the right thing. We see a lot of young people who say to themselves “How can I put my behavior in line with my values while meeting my needs?” With a paradox: it’s already too late, but something must be done all the same.
What difficulties do shrinks encounter in treating these patients affected by eco-anxiety?
As it is new, special attention should be paid to it. Most therapists are not used to listening to this talk. The wrong option would be to answer: “It’s not that bad”. On the contrary, it is necessary to privilege a listening which legitimizes the concern. Otherwise there is a risk of rejection.
The other difficulty is that the majority of people who consult for this have other vulnerabilities. It is therefore necessary to treat the whole without minimizing this component. Or miss a depression, for example. If eco-anxiety is left untreated, it will make the rest worse.
Do you think that this disorder will one day enter the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)?
It’s possible. But be careful not to psychiatry everything. Eco-anxiety can be a normal awareness, even useful, to promote change. It is not delusional to worry about the future of the planet. And this is a concern for all psych disorders: the border between normality and the pathological is not always easy to fix.
How do you know that you have switched from worry, which many share, to an anxiety disorder?
The good benchmark is to see if we manage to detach ourselves from it. Normal worry alerts us to problems, we take them into account in our life choices. In pathological anxiety, we no longer think of anything but this climatic question, it invades our thoughts. Then the body. We sleep less well because we have trouble turning off the mind. You can have psychosomatic disorders.
Could the health crisis, synonymous with total upheaval in our lifestyles and omnipresent uncertainty, have played a role in increasing anxiety or even eco-anxiety?
Completely. It has been growing over the past few years, and even more so over the past year and a half. With the health crisis, there has been an awareness of our vulnerability to natural events. Whereas we had somewhat forgotten the epidemics… We are little and when we destroy our environment, it is even worse. There was also a reflection on isolation. With confinements and barrier gestures, we found ourselves in situations of loneliness and estrangement from nature. Going for a walk in the forest became vital.
How to try to relieve these psychological disorders linked to climate change?
The usual tools for stress management can soothe acute moments: relaxation, breathing, lifestyle. Good thing, eating properly is also good for the planet. We also measured that physical activity relieves psychiatric disorders. And it is sometimes in the commitment that some find ways to respond to these anxieties.
You warn against a tendency which would be to “depoliticize” the question by focusing on hygiene of personal life …
Small gestures are very useful because, put together, they have an impact. But they will never be enough. We must convince the authorities to influence policies.
* The emotions of climate change, Flammarion, September 29, 2021, 19 euros.