The psychological burden of the climate crisis can turn into 'eco-paralysis'

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that climate change reveals emotions such as anxiety and hopelessness in people, adding, "Anxiety in the face of a threat is a human reaction, but becoming paralyzed instead of producing solutions for anxiety is an unhealthy reaction."

Increasing in frequency, number, and severity worldwide, heatwaves, droughts, forest fires, and floods are negatively affecting not only the planet but also human psychology.

While exposure to climate crisis-related events can create feelings of anxiety, hopelessness, and helplessness in individuals, the concept of eco-paralysis is used to describe this situation. Eco-paralysis manifests as a feeling of helplessness and guilt in the face of environmental crisis and destruction, an inability to do anything, and falling into pessimism.

President of Üsküdar University and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan answered questions from an AA reporter regarding the effects of climate change on mental health.

Tarhan stated that the concept of eco-paralysis differs from eco-anxiety, which describes the state of worrying due to climate change, and noted that eco-paralysis describes a state of fixation, blockage, and becoming unresponsive, rather than merely anxiety.

Tarhan stated that, according to the United Nations, the three future threats are, respectively, income inequality, climate change, and loneliness, and added, "Climate change is particularly pronounced in young people. As young people see concrete examples of this change in the climate, they physically feel climate change, their anxieties increase, and when they see the insensitivity of adults and leaders, they fall into hopelessness and pessimism, and climate anxiety turns into eco-paralysis. In other words, as a result, hope is lost, social bonds weaken, and paralysis begins due to the perception of disaster."

Tarhan expressed that young people, under the influence of the 'bad world syndrome,' believe the world is heading for the worse, not the better, and said that as a result, some young people fall into anxiety and resort to avoidance behavior, some become aggressive, and some become depressed.

Worry for the future leads to depression

Tarhan, providing information that the state of eco-paralysis encompasses indifference, lack of motivation, lack of energy, and disinterest, continued as follows:

"This is very dangerous; it also harms the individual. It also prevents individuals and society from doing something good for themselves. In other words, this is a type of depression, which is called anhedonic depression. It is a type of depression characterized by low motivation, low energy, and decreased desire. A personality emerges that completely withdraws into their room, becomes introverted, and loses interest in the world and everything. It is one of the types of depression that is difficult to treat. We can actually say that eco-paralysis is a climate-related form of anhedonic depression. Eco-anxiety is for those who truly worry about the future, but eco-paralysis is applicable for individuals who say, 'I worry about the future, but I don't know what to do, I can't do anything, nothing will improve in the world.' In fact, a Climate Change Anxiety Scale has been developed for this. We can measure who experiences climate change anxiety with that scale."

Tarhan pointed out that symptoms such as sleep problems, social withdrawal, distractibility, guilt, and anger are observed in individuals with eco-paralysis.

Tarhan emphasized that individuals who fall into hopelessness due to the climate crisis should not suppress their anxieties but rather reframe their existing anxiety, and mentioned that distinguishing between events one can and cannot control is important in this process.

"Hopelessness and pessimism are the brain's greatest enemies"

Tarhan, describing hopelessness and pessimism as the brain's greatest enemies, explained that these two factors lead to the atrophy of growth hormones in the brain and, as a result, the brain becoming unresponsive.

Tarhan noted that the human brain shows 6 times more interest in negative news than positive news, and said, "Constantly watching disaster news leads to many things such as anxiety disorder, sleep disorder, attention deficit disorder, anger, guilt, hopelessness, and then desensitization, feeling helpless, and avoidance behavior. Adolescents are particularly more exposed to this situation. If the family, parents, are not good guides and cannot provide guidance, young people experience the negative consequences of exposure to these disaster news much more."
Tarhan stated that it is important for young people to engage in environmental activities in the fight against the climate crisis, and mentioned that this movement by young people can positively affect social dynamics.

Tarhan concluded his words as follows:

"People should feel that they are not alone. Awareness needs to be created against adults' denial, belittling, failure to listen, and unproductive approaches. There is a problem, but if it turns into eco-paralysis through some people's denial and belittling, or through others' exaggeration and fostering excessive identity anxiety, then this already becomes a psychiatric disorder. Most importantly, let's see that the climate crisis is a real threat, but let's not exaggerate it. Anxiety in the face of a threat is a human reaction, but becoming paralyzed instead of producing solutions for anxiety is an unhealthy reaction here. Therefore, the state of eco-paralysis is also an unhealthy reaction. It is advisable to form new social bonds, build hope, and invest in the future through collective actions."

AA