Istanbul / Emre Başaran / Anatolia
-Clinical psychologist Fatih Turkmenoglu, for Anadolu:
Climate change has led people to lose faith in the meaning of life.
It also led to annoying fluctuations in the weather, as the weather in June is very cold and very hot in September.
-It is too early to talk about other psychological effects of climate change other than anxiety.
The fight against climate change must be transformed into a national movement, such as people collectively seeking to collect garbage.
Clinical psychologist and writer Fatih Turkmenoglu said that climate change has led to a human tendency toward “nihilism,” or a loss of faith in any meaning of life, and this has reached unprecedented levels.
This came in an interview conducted by Anadolu with Ihsanoglu about the negative effects of climate change on human mental health.
“There are common ideas, especially among young people, that assume that climate change is a reality that cannot be changed, which leads to feelings of nihilism (loss of faith in any meaning of life),” Oglu said.
He added, “More and more young people believe that the world is coming to an end and that water is running out. That is why they have begun to abandon their dreams and live only in the present.”
Turkmenoglu stressed that climate change in some countries, such as Turkey, which was severely affected by it, has led to strange fluctuations in the weather currently, as it is very cold in June and scorching in September, contrary to what we learned from nature.
He considered that climate change represents a “betrayal” of human nature, and its effects are unnatural on humans and their bodies, putting us in a state of shock.
– Concern about climate change
Speaking about the anxiety caused by climate change and its negative effects, Oglu said, “It causes anxiety and a feeling of indifference, and makes people feel emotionally shaken.”
He noted that climate change is unlikely to cause more serious mental health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or mania and depression.
He said: “Every type of anxiety can lead, for example, to bipolar disorder, or manic depression, which causes severe mood swings.”
Turkmenoglu added: “It is too early to confirm whether climate change causes any specific condition other than anxiety,” stressing that “anxiety is usually the underlying cause of any subsequent diagnosis of a more serious psychological disorder.”
He stressed that the unpredictable nature of climate change has turned people into “primitive humans trying to protect themselves and nothing more, with no plans for the future.”
“What increases people’s anxiety most is the fact that everything is taking on the nature of extremism and cruelty,” he said, referring to “the severe weather whose events are becoming increasingly frequent all over the world.”
“Denial is a coping mechanism.”
The sudden fluctuations of nature may cause people to lose confidence in it, according to Oglu, as he said, “Our confidence in Mother Nature has been somewhat shaken.”
“Our real mothers can discipline us to some extent, but they will not beat us to death,” he added.
Turkmenoglu pointed to the dangers of denying climate change, and said that “delusion” is a way for the human mind to deal with the threat, and it is the brain’s way of comforting its owner, and it is also just an adaptation mechanism.
He added, “With the mistaken assumption that climate change is not real, because people feel little comfort in the face of real risks posed by the disaster.”
He continued, “Unfounded conspiracy theories are efforts made by people to find meaning in complex matters that they are unable to understand.”
Regarding the need for awareness, Oglu said, “Our educational system is completely flawed regarding climate change,” stressing that children “are not taught anything about one of the biggest challenges facing the world.”
* Hope never ceases
Despite everything, Turkmenoglu said he is “optimistic about the future, especially when he sees people’s efforts in fighting climate change.”
He said: “It saddens me to see people throwing bottles out of their cars, and using air conditioners even when their windows are open. However, when I go to the beach to collect plastics, I see people actually collecting them. People like them give me hope.”
The psychologist concluded his speech by saying, “The climate change battle must be transformed into a national movement.”
He added, “If the battle against climate change turns into a kind of national movement, such as people collecting garbage collectively, this will lead to beautiful results, because the feeling of doing one’s part for humanity and for the Earth is a positive thing.”
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2023-10-08 07:32:49
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