It's not Me, It's You
Collapse-awareness: an incurable case of existential dread
I’m incurable.
I've been to psychologists and while the venting seems to help, nothing really cures me from my constant dread. I'm not a mental health expert, but I believe psychologists are simply not equipped to deal with existential anxiety.
Worried about nothing in general? Cognitive behavioural therapy can help.
Suffer from stage fright? There's a pill for that.
Crippled by depression? It could be caused by an chemical imbalance in your brain.
Under normal circumstances, psychologists have methods for dealing with these issues. They are temporary or internal - caused by one's own brain. I.e. a "me" problem.
But what if the source of my dread is permanent and external. In other words, my brain is not the problem. My brain is simply observing facts. How do you cure reality?
Whether you're toiling in a concentration camp, trapped in the sunken Kursk submarine, or simply observing the burning world, there is no cure for reality. Most mainstream psychologists aren't equipped or experienced enough to deal with these things. Also, many collapse-aware don't know how to broach the subject.
The best most professionals can do is listen and prescribe a mind-numbing agent. (I still can't decide whether anti-anxiety meds are a good or bad thing to use in this situation.)
However, there is a branch of psychology dedicated to those in hospice. This is the closest the profession comes to being capable of dealing with collapse-awareness. If you're experiencing existential dread, I believe a professional must attack the anxiety from this angle.
The collapse-aware have unique needs from psychologists. They don't need someone to tell them "it's going to be alright". So what do we need?
For some, that's what religion is for. Religion makes death and the unknown palatable. It also gives the illusion that something is in control and that this chaos is by design. I understand the appeal.
Realistically, most collapse-aware are evidence based thinkers and won't accept religion. At least not in the traditional sense.
Side note: I have tailored my views on religion beyond belief vs disbelief. First of all, I don't follow any organized religion. Rather, I view the concept of god as a metaphor for the beauty and mystery of the world. My 'religion' is about doing, not talking, symbolizing or worshipping. In fact, if there were a god entity, I believe that entity would judge people by what they do with their lives, not by whether they believe in him or visit a designated building weekly. I once created a set of rules for my own 'religion'. One day I'll share more. Anyway, back to the program...
If you happen to find the right collapse-aware psychologist, here's what they should provide:
Validate and normalize your feelings
Encourage you to talk and explore fears
Create relaxation techniques
Help you create meaning from your life, however long it may be
Find acceptance and peace with the inevitable
Identify areas of personal control
Good luck finding one though. It takes extra effort, and sometimes you must cycle through a few to find the someone suitable. As many of you know, there are many psychologists (and people in general) who still believe this doomsday shit is overblown.
Moreover, not everyone has the funds, ability or inclination to find and work with with a psychologist. So below I've provided a few resources to help manage through the fear of collapse.
Here is a directory (not sure how updated it is) of collapse-aware psychologists.
Good Grief Network (as mentioned in first video).
Most therapists need therapy. They have been trained to make people "happy" and content with life whatever the individual situation is. Therapists need therapy to regain touch with reality. Anger is not an acceptable emotion regardless of the situation. You have anger management problems, when there are very good reasons to be angry. Depression can be caused by life experience, or chemical imbalance in the brain but are typically treated by drugs which do not work unless caused by a chemical imbalance.
Society has been trained to "happiness" - The required and only acceptable answer to "How are you doing?" is "Everything is just wonderful!". Telling the truth", Things suck " will get get you a strange look and the person will move away from you and stop talking to you. It's a large part of the reason we are where we are politically, financially and climate change is coming to get us. Psychologists impart denial and hope, not reality. By doing so therapy is counterproductive in many if not most cases. If you don't respond properly to talking therapy there are always drugs which are guaranteed to work.
In the larger scheme of things it has been devastating. People believe that climate change, ecocide and financial collapse are 100 years away - so why worry? It's not going to effect me.
I'd love to know how much has been spent on therapy to make people happy about the upcoming mass extinction event.
Sarah, you are well read, so I will also recommend "Mans Search for Meaning " and " the Denial of Death" if you haven't read them already. Also Taoism books, but I don't have a title off hand. Psychologists probably won't help b/c " There is nothing wrong with you, it’s the world we live in." as one of my psychologist friends told me.