Apocalyptic Anxiety

"The Medicalization of Everyday Life" is a quote attributed to Thomas Szasz. A current example of this phenomenon occurred in a recent issue of Psychology Today online. It is a short piece by Robert D. Stolorow, Ph.D. and makes only a few points. The reader comments at the bottom of the article are well worth the read and indicate that not everyone is taken in by the psychobabble purveyed in popular media reporting on news in psychology. In his article Dr. Stolorow expresses his distress over humanity's failure to take serious action on human induced climate change and laments what he fears is our legacy to future generations. He even has a psychobabble word for that - generativity. Apparently, we lack concern for our descendants. He blames 'unbridled narcissism' and greed for this 'condition'. A response to his psycologising has been presented here.

Dr. Stolorow is terrified by the image of record low ice extent in the Arctic and a headline“Arctic Ice Melt and Sea Level Rise May Be ‘Decades Ahead Of Schedule’” . He scares easy. Is he hyperventilating? Perhaps a few deep breaths will help.

Can we reassure Dr. Stolorow that our ancestors back in the 1920s, 30s and 40s had similar concerns about the melting Arctic. Apparently, we have been waiting for an ice free Arctic for almost 90 years. The panic wears off after a while. One hopes that this will reassure Dr Stolorow that his fears are unfounded because Arctic ice melts on a regular basis. We will survive.

Next Dr Stolorow was filled with 'intense horror' at a planetarium show over 30 years ago where he learned that the sun will become a red giant star and engulf the earth a million years in the future. It is more like 5 billion years  but regardless Dr Stolorow scares easily. He wants to legitimize this fear by giving it a name: apocalyptic anxiety. Now he can sound professional. Is there a 12 step program for this brand of AA?? Hello, my name is Robert and I'm Apocalyptic.

As one of his readers pointed out: "It's a bit like being obsessed with global nuclear annihilation when standing in the middle of a field during a severe thunder storm, when you should be worried about being stuck by lightning.

Common sense can disarm apocalyptic anxiety.

He concludes with:

"We must renounce destructive narcissism and oblivious denial, embrace generativity, and face up to our apocalyptic anxiety before it is too late for the safety of future generations. President Obama brought tears to my eyes when, in his acceptance speech at the DNC, he contended that climate change and the threat it poses to human life on planet earth are not illusions. He was right, and we must not turn away!"

Dr Stolorow is an emotional fellow with deep concern for the human race.  He asks: "Why have the majority of Americans and American politicians been largely oblivious to this extreme threat?"

Perhaps it is because people realize that the predictions of the global climate models are not coming true. When people are told contradictory things by the experts or observe results contrary to predictions the fear subsides and they conclude that scientists still don't know what they are talking about. Sort of like the caffeine is good/bad for you controversy. No sense worrying about a cuppa java when there are mouths to feed.