Did the Summer make you anxious?

As the seasons change and despite what we thought was possible a month ago, it is now steadily raining in the UK.

After a summer of unprecedented weather and headlines filled with predictions of future trouble, you might be forgiven for feeling anxious and perhaps less than relaxed after the holiday period. As a Psychotherapist and Counsellor working in Salisbury, I am often asked by professional bodies how my clients are impacted by climate anxiety. Does the idea that humanity has permanently damaged it’s home planet cause you anxiety?

This got me thinking. I work with clients in the early stages of adulthood all the way through to retirees. The stress and anxiety which people experience can really depend on who they are and what they do in life.

With clients in the Salisbury area, I may see more people who work in government and defence related jobs. Many of these clients are ex-forces or in active service. People worried about conflict with Russia or China are not exclusive to the defence sector, but they do tend towards older male clients who have a family and who perhaps see the existential threat to all they hold dear along more traditional lines. Does that mean the threat is greater now than in the 1980s or 1780s? The same holds true of concerns around the economy, which political party is in power and whether or not we as a people are going in the “right direction”. Perhaps we all have a view on that, but the question is- how much are you worried about world affairs? Do you experience genuine anxiety about climate disaster or nuclear conflict?

My therapy and counselling clients come from areas like Amesbury or Old Sarum and Longhedge- where defence jobs are more common, or indeed Harnham- with NHS workers; two themes of concern hold true- Trump and the cost of living. Donald Trump anxiety encompasses all of the above and seems to be more of a constant than specific concerns about foreign affairs or the environment.

Perhaps because I don’t have many clients at University- geography dictates that therapy in Salisbury is not full of young graduates, I don’t see or hear much in the way of climate concern. The suggestion is that climate anxiety is something that the under 20’s feel most keenly. We are told that they are filled with anger and fear at what their forebears have done to the planet. Yet, how quickly are we all reaching for AI to help us in life? AI to help with day to day problems, work issues, which clothes to wear and whether the argument we are having with out partner is justified? Surely AI is eating the world, with its unflinching demand for electricity? Do people who are genuinely concerned for the environment limit their exposure to social media and the internet?

I was lucky enough to spend a chunk of the summer in Nepal, seeing the stunning wildlife and experiencing life outside of the constraints of modern western society. We returned a week before the disastrous flooding, having perhaps trodden the same path as some of the fellow travellers who were killed. Even before this, and in a land prone to earthquakes and flash floods, the people we spoke to were quite clear- the weather is getting more unstable and people are dying because of it. Climate change is a fact for many people in the world and their anxiety and stress revolves around changes that they cannot control and may not survive. Perhaps a sense of trying to actively improve the situation can offer real relief from anxiety about situations that are out of our control.

There is a sense that for many clients life is hard enough at times without worrying about something at big as climate change. We all have to deal with relationship problems. Increasingly the demands of work are a big part of our troubles. Not, whether we work, but how much we are expected to do with the time we have.  Work and work relationships are always complicated and often intrinsic to our sense of self worth and how we fit into The Tribe. At some point in our lives most of us will grieve. But as we move through life, the time and space we have for these other concerns can vary.

Are clients who I see in Salisbury worried about Climate Change? Not to the extent that it features explicitly in our sessions. Perhaps this is to do with my client base, but worrying about something doesn’t impact your ability to change things. If you worry about the climate, buy fewer clothes, use your phone a lot less and perhaps speak to a human in your life rather than asking AI.

 But, if climate change, politics or global insecurity are becoming a loud and scary part of your world, then maybe its time to look for some objective, calm and non-judgemental help at Assisi Therapy.

And no,  AI wasn’t used to write this piece.