1. LIFE STYLE
Most of us care for the environment and worry
about the future of our planet. But, spending
sleepless nights thinking about the plight of
polar bears in the arctic, or calculating the
number of trees that may have been destroyed
to supply you with a week of stationery paper,
could be a sign of ecological angst and
depression, which needs to be addressed
immediately, finds
Allister Mark Syiemlieh
Flashing images of
environmental
damage, raging
forest fires,
hurricane devastated
cities, melting glaciers,
and animal refugees have become
extremely common of late. Our
reactions to them vary depending on
how closely we attach ourselves to
the cause of environmental well-
being. Unfortunately, there are a few
amongst us who cannot erase these
images from our minds and get
increasingly agitated about not being
able to stop the damage to the
planet. They belong to a new breed
of environmentally fixated people
Assuaging
eco-angst
who anticipate a future of very real
and disturbing economic and social
consequences and are worrying
themselves sick over such issues.
This is impacting their inner psyche.
According to Dr Shrikant Acharya, a
psychologist and hypnotherapist,
“Ecological disturbances affect
human behaviour and cause
fluctuations of neuro chemicals
which cause some people to show
symptoms of neurotic disorder such
as depression, stress, irritation and
anxiety.”
A lot of perfectly normal people are
aware of what’s happening to the
world around them and they also
know that there’s probably not much
they can do about it. This inability to
do something, anything to curb the
impending environmental doom
looming over us, is in turn making
such people sad, anxious, depressed,
and to feel such despair. Their
concerns spring from the effects
being felt through global warming,
erratic climatic changes, resource
depletion and other environmental
crises.
For some this projection into a future
of such frightening events, as a
direct consequence of ecological
degradation has caused them to
planet earth | | March 0946

2. plays a very important role in the
psyche of a person. How individuals
respond to their environment and
how the environment responds to
them is a very important part of
human behaviour. Dr Acharya
explains, “The resilience of such
people to counter such ecological
disturbances leads them to go from
being eco-conscious to one of being
eco-freaks.” The fear of recognising
the far-reaching impacts and
implications of the environmental
degradation has created this new
breed of high strung eco worriers.
Sadly, the condition is not restricted to
a particular place or area but its
symptoms are being felt at most places.
A growing number of anxiety ridden
people in the US are seeking
psychological help because of the
distress they face over the impacts of
the environment. The condition hit
headlines recently owing to a woman
who reportedly saw images of polar
bears floating in the arctic waters
apparently dead from exhaustion
after trying to swim to solid ground.
Unable to erase and blaming herself
and every person living on the plant
for this situation, she went into
depression and was suggested
psychological help. “It’s the polar
bears. They’re drowning. Polar bears
aren’t supposed to drown. I feel so
overwhelmed by what these poor
animals are going through because
of our incredible stupidity,” she
reportedly said.
This modern day malaise is also
manifesting in our own country as
well, warns Dr Acharya. He recalls
instances where in people came to
him with complaints of how they feel
upset about animals which get
trapped in forest fires.
In earlier times the orthodox
approach to treating such people
might have been a course of
benzodiazepines, a drug by used by
practitioners to treat anxiety,
agitation and alcohol withdrawal.
Caring for such people requires an
alternate healing procedure. A new
area of psychological treatment
called ecopyschology and related
therapy is being referred to for the
treatment of these over-sensitive
people. The emerging solution to
eco-anxiety is ecotherapy.
Ecotherapy helps a distressed person
to re-connect with nature, allows one
to come to terms with oneself and to
find his inner peace. Therapists
believe that people's relationship
with the Earth is impertinent to their
well-being. They usually begin by
studying how an individual’s
upbringing and background
contributes to his or her relationship
with the environment. It analyses the
person's carbon footprint and the
efforts taken to help the
environment. Some suggest a
peaceful holiday in the midst of
nature or ask patients to carry
reminders of nature such as pebbles,
fallen bird feathers or leaves. They
are also encouraged to do something
for the environment to save them the
guilt. Vinod Jain, an eco-friendly
fashion accessories designer has
often been chastised for being extra
conscious. Founder of an NGO
called Tapas, he has been working
relentlessly to make people aware
of the perils of air pollution,
deforestation and disposable
material. “Earlier I used to feel very
guilty when I drove my car to work
and bought stationery paper. But I
decided to do something to save
the environment. It has helped
me overcome the guilt,”
he says.
What can eco-anxiety do?
become so anxious as to be unable to
function. In extreme cases symptoms
such as bulimia, depression,
alcoholism and rage equal to eco-
terrorism have also been noticed by
human behaviour experts. This
anxiety over environmental hazards
is being termed ‘eco-anxiety’ by
therapists, drawing meaning from
one’s concern over drastic ecological
changes.
Unlike the general anxiety disorders
that grip people worldwide, eco-
anxiety is very specific and affects
only those who are extremely
attached to the well-being of the
environment. It has often been
noticed in activists, especially the
younger lot and those who are
involved in a particular rescue
operation.
This relatively new psychological
affliction engenders a chronic fear of
environmental doom and the
uncontrolled destruction by floods,
famines, heat waves, species
extinctions, and ultimately, the
demise of our planet. It arouses
reactions such as shock, trauma and
disorientation to the realities of
environmental change and the
helpless state of mind.
However, experts believe that feeling
concerned about the seriousness of
what is happening around us and the
consequences it has had on an
individual’s personal, spiritual and
economic life cannot be termed as a
mental illness. “It is just a state of
mind which is easy to treat,” says
Dr Archit Pandey, a practicing
therapist based in Lucknow.
“Environmentally anxious people
feel guilty of depleting the natural
resources. They worry about the fuel
they use, the cola tin cans people
discard, and the litter they throw
around,” he adds.
They are unhappy about using
stationery and the question ‘paper or
plastic’ sends their mind into a
tailspin. They are scared that nature
might just declare war on them
someday and they would be in no
position to defend themselves. Eco-
anxiety is for real. The environment
Loss of appetite
Irritability
Panic attacks
Insomnia
Nightmares
Unexplained weakness
Physical pain.
Uncontrolled crying
Rage
Eco-terrorism
Social reclusion
planet earth | | March 0947