A growing body of evidence suggests climate activists all over the world are increasingly suffering from “eco-anxiety,” experiencing mental health episodes triggered by the stress of worrying about the earth’s pending doom from global warming.
In order to combat the condition, climate anxiety support groups are cropping up — and according to The Daily Beast, the seats are filling up.
The Beast reported on the rise of climate anxiety groups in the U.S., calling the gatherings “the new self-care.” In order to meet the rise in demand, counselors and clinicians are getting trained up on how to treat this special group of patients who feel weighed down by the “doom-and-gloom” surrounding the movement.
More than 250 people have participated in Good Grief, a 10-step eco-anxiety support program that mimics the structure of Alcoholics Anonymous. “We created the program we needed, and we’re kind of shocked with the level of growth,” explained co-founder Laura Schmidt. “We’ve personally done 10 rounds of the program with participants, and more meetings are happening beyond us. We know this is strong. It empowers people and takes away desperation.” – READ MORE