Free climate anxiety workshop at NC State
Ahead of Earth Day, local climate advocates are hosting a climate anxiety event at NC State.
Climate anxiety, also sometimes called eco-anxiety or climate worry, is a term for heightened fear or worry related to the threats posed by a warming temperatures, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and other environmental issues.
Miriam Broderson, a counselor in Durham who is leading Wednesday's workshop at NC State, said she has been working to manage her own climate anxiety.
"There was a time when I was moving between panic and despair," Broderson said. "I'd wake up in the middle of the night, panicking, and then I would go through these cycles of depression."
Recent studies show that a significant portion of the population worries about climate change and people are increasingly distressed about the state of the planet.
Broderson says it can manifest as feelings of guilt, fear, helplessness, sadness, and even anger. Some experience a chronic sense of environmental doom, overwhelmed by the potential consequences of climate change.
"What really helped me was having a conversation with somebody who could connect with me on it and finding ways to ground myself, to practice mindfulness, and to be out in nature," Broderson said.
Broderson is a member of the Climate Psychology Alliance, a group that aims to address the urgent psychological dimensions of the climate crisis and promote education and training for "climate-aware therapists." Broderson says counselors need to alter their approach to the conversation, because climate worry is prevalent and not unfounded.
"Anxiety is often considered something where you're having an irrational response to a situation that's not dangerous... and climate anxiety is not that," Broderson said.
Workshop Details: Keep Your Cool In A Warming World: Facing Your Fear About Climate Change
Where: North Carolina State University’s Talley Student Union, Room #4280, located at 2610 Cates Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27606. Parking is free after 5pm and available at the Coliseum Parking Deck on 201 Jensen Dr, Raleigh, NC 27606. '
When: Wednesday, April 17th from 5:30-6:30 pm
How to Participate: This event is free and open to the public, but capacity is limited. Click here to register.
