Here’s A Word: Eco-Anxiety

Ever hear of words like Cianconi, Panu, Albrecht, Hickman and Malach to describe effects on the human psyche, loss of a stable future, hopelessness or despair, respectively?  Welcome to the new vocabulary scientists have created to explain the mental health impact of climate change.

Researchers are coming to grips with how extreme weather events such as droughts, wildfires, water scarcity and floods contribute to an increase risk of neurological and psychiatric illness.

Climate change disproportionally affects those living in poor physical environments, less access to medical care and political power.  It also impacts people of color, children, the elderly, the chronically ill, people with cognitive or mobility impairment, and those who are pregnant, disproportionally, too.

What is the cure for eco-anxiety? Dr. Joseph Dodds states that we should not avoid symptoms that come with our exposure to climate change, but take action to develop a living relationship with the natural world, instead.