political stress & climate anxiety therapy in los angeles
highland park therapy for sociopolitical stress, climate anxiety, and existential dread
A common challenge we’re seeing more and more people navigate (and feeling ourselves) is an increasing, overwhelming amount of stress and fear about the current state of the world and our country. News headlines are full of devastating and tragic stories, statistics about the climate and environment are increasingly scary, and each election cycle puts people even more on edge–we get it, it can seem pretty bleak out there!
Causes of increasing political stress
For Millennials and Gen-Zers especially, who are looking toward the future and making important life choices about careers, purpose, family planning, partnerships, and more, the current global and political climate can bring up great concern for what the future will look like.
In 2020, more than ⅔ of adults reported that both the 2020 election cycle and current political climate were sources of significant stress in their lives and these numbers had increased dramatically from just a few years prior. In 2024, many of our clients are already sharing about their increased fear and worry for this year’s election cycle and what the results may bring. Our collective fear, isolation, grief and distress from living through the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic over the past few years, combined with the increased sense of political division in our country and in many families/close interpersonal relationships, has left many folks finding themselves pushed to the edge of what feels manageable.
Who is most impacted by political stress & climate anxiety?
It is perfectly normal for many of us to experience difficulty and fear grappling with the uncertainties of our political climate, physical climate, and our collective future. Especially for those who are deeply empathic and sensitive, like Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) and creatives/artists, the difficulty you’re experiencing is a reflection of your deep, emotional connection to other people and your environment and also indicates a capacity to consider wide-reaching issues that have a great impact on humanity and the planet. And, these feelings can be big and heavy to hold. For many BIPOC, queer, disabled, and other folks with intersections of oppressed identities, the stress, fear, and grief stemming from our everyday climate is magnified. Political stress, intolerance and violence are common lived experiences in these communities and exposure to hateful, dehumanizing, political rhetoric can trigger many forms of trauma.
Symptoms of political stress & climate anxiety
You may be navigating recurring feelings of existential anxiety and existential dread which can present as deep insecurity, emptiness, loneliness, and despair when considering the meaning of human life and your own life’s purpose. Existential dread tends to appear during times of crisis or big life transitions–where one is facing great uncertainty or experiences of inhumanity. We have witnessed so many horrific acts of inhumanity and violence over the past few years as well–racial violence and racial trauma, increasing antisemitism, the war in Ukraine, the attack on Israel and the genocide of the Palestinian people.
Similarly, feelings of climate anxiety are increasing rapidly as a result of global climate change. Sometimes referred to as climate worry, eco-anxiety, eco-grief, or climate doom, climate anxiety is defined by researchers at the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication as “distress about climate change and its impacts on the landscape and human existence” and that symptoms of this distress can look like “intrusive thoughts or feelings of distress about future disasters or the long-term future of human existence and the world, including one’s own descendants.” Eco-anxiety is often accompanied with many physiological symptoms of arousal that are associated with other forms of anxiety like, racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, sweating, and difficulty focusing that can be very uncomfortable & impede essential activities like school and work. If these symptoms and worries sound familiar, read on for more information about how we provide climate anxiety help.
the effects of climate change are real
While anxiety can feel overwhelming and can sometimes be judged as irrational, fearing the effects of climate change and worrying about the sustainability of our collective future is a very reasonable response given the extent of the climate crisis. Climate change is impacting so many different sectors of our lives, and your fears are very real and valid. In addition to our ever-changing physical landscape, we’re seeing catastrophic changes in:
Increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events like fires, flooding, droughts, and storms which impacts food production, damages natural resources/ecosystems and infrastructure, and can threaten our homes and our lives
These events also contribute to disease spread that most directly impacts those most vulnerable—in age, with other chronic health diagnoses, people experiencing homelessness, etc.
Human health issues increase mortality, impact agriculture and food resources, limit productivity of workers, and contribute to significant economic decline
Climate change can have a range of impacts on physical, mental, and community health and is a health equity issue—having the most significant impact on individuals and families in lower socioeconomic communities and the Global South
“Climate change disrupts many areas of life and may lead to increased violence and crime, decreased community unity, and increased social instability” SAMHSA
How kindman & co. can help with political stress & climate anxiety
While the political climate and climate change are largely outside of individual control, our team can help you begin to manage the overwhelm, worry, grief, and anxiety that you may be currently feeling. Some of the ways that therapy can help are:
Holding space for you to feel all of the complex feelings coming up for you and process fears about the future
Build tools to cope with the uncertainty of living in these modern challenges
Cultivate resilience and acceptance for fear and discomfort
Set boundaries around media consumption to lessen feelings of overwhelm
Identify areas that are within your control and engage in values aligned behaviors to help you feel empowered
Build embodied awareness and grounding tools to manage physiological symptoms of anxiety and nervous system arousal
Supporting you to lean into close relationships and build community to combat isolation
Connect with purpose and meaning
Take actions that instill hope and possibility for social change
Support you to grapple with questions about and develop more clarity around your desired life direction, like “do I want to bring children into this environment?” “do i feel my career gives me a sense of purpose?” “are there things i can be doing to help make the world more just?”
You don’t need to grapple with these big, existential questions alone nor feel worried and overwhelmed everyday. We’re here to help.