Originally published May 6 2014
Children inundated with 'constant doomsday talk about climate change' warn psychiatrists
by J. D. Heyes
(NaturalNews) Child psychiatrists and other mental health experts say they are seeing an increase in anxiety among today's youth over the constant doom-and-gloom atmosphere they are presented regarding so-called global warming/climate change.
What is most disturbing to them, experts say, is so much talk among the scientific community that nothing more than daily life activities are what is causing the planet to be irreparably damaged. Still, according to Canada's The Globe and Mail newspaper, experts north of the U.S. border say there is hope, despite the volatility and fear being ginned up by many in the scientific community. To stay mentally strong, they say young adults should not just call for change but act to change things:
Dr. Anthony Levitt, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre's director of research in the department of psychiatry, agrees climate-change anxiety increasingly enters into the discussions he has with many of the young people who come to see him. "Younger people [teens to mid-20s] appear to be much more accepting of the science and facts than older people," Levitt observes. He's also seen an uptick in climate-change-related anxiety in parents with younger children.
"For most people who are anxious about climate change, the anxiety is escalated by the fact they do not see an answer or a way to make a change. Worry plus powerlessness leads to distress," says Levitt, who is also a professor in the psychiatry department at the University of Toronto.
The sky really isn't falling
"The answer, on a personal basis, to this kind of helpless distress is 'mastery': that is, helping people to master small tasks that reduce their carbon footprint can lead to a greater sense of control and efficacy for that person -- and with that a reduction in anxiety. Can one person taking action to reduce their carbon footprint change global warming? Who knows. But it can relieve the distress that comes from anxiety mixed with impotence that affects a growing number of people in our society," he said.
Chris Saade, co-director of the Olive Branch Center, a grief and wellness counseling firm in North Carolina, told the paper that he has seen a large jump in the number of patients under the age of 18 who come to him with concerns about the future of the environment.
"Unlike adults who can put their heads in the sand about what we have been doing to our planet, these kids are very aware of what's going on," said Saade, who has led more than 200 psychological retreats in the United States and has offered grief counseling through his private practice for more than 20 years. "Because of the Web, it's not hidden any more. Children often ask me questions that we, as adults, try to evade: What is going to happen to the human race?"
Environmental activists, scientists who make their living from taxpayer-funded studies and politicians all over the world who seek predetermined outcomes to the studies they are financing are to blame for all of this anxiety. One is Kenneth Worthy, who pointed out to the Globe and Mail that kids are not the only ones being affected by the non-stop environmental alarmism he and other activists routinely spew.
No reason for alarmism
"Adults, too, are struggling to come to terms with the mental-health strains connected to the volatility, including economic loss from storms, floods and other natural disasters," Worthy, who quit a lucrative job as a software developer in Silicon Valley more than a decade ago to work on a graduate degree in environmental studies at the University of California, Berkeley, told the paper.
To legitimize his "work," Worthy compares his environmental alarmism with earlier generations who had great challenges -- such as world war.
"Our forebears had the First World War and the Second World War. Another generation dealt with the Cold War and the threat of nuclear war. Now the greatest threat to this generation -- young and old -- is the climate problem, which involves a lot of volatility, and a lot of change," he said.
"We have to find the flexibility, the courage and the determination to stand up to that crisis - collectively, not just as individuals. Like our parents did before us," Worthy added.
As reported by The Daily Caller, the alarmism is unfounded. Here are some reasons why:
- the earth was warmer during the time of the Roman Empire;
- the U.S. saw more than 2,000 record-low temps in December 2013;
- Arctic ice coverage increased by 50 percent last year; and
- some scientists now say that a global cooling trend is on the way (just like during the 1970s).
Sources:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com
http://dailycaller.com
http://opinion.financialpost.com
http://www.naturalnews.com
http://science.naturalnews.com
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml