Collapse Awareness

What is Collapse Awareness?

Collapse awareness refers to the knowledge of and psychological engagement with the reality of impending systemic, social, and civilizational collapse as the planetary crisis continues beyond reversibility. Due to the infinite growth model of late-stage capitalism having been applied to a planet with finite resources for far too long, our species (and many others) are facing an inevitable unraveling of our way of life. We are now living through large-scale disruptions in weather patterns, energy sources and the economy, food systems, supply chains, and travel/transportation. No aspect of our daily lives will go unaffected.

How Collapse Awareness Impacts You

Awareness of our collapsing systems can be an incredibly isolating and alienating experience. You may be experiencing a host of challenging and complex emotions and still find yourself expected to wake up each morning and go about your life as if things were “normal.” You are likely struggling to find the words to talk about your experience with loved ones as collapse awareness is highly stigmatized and overwhelming for most people. You may feel concern about being labeled a “doomer” or “prepper” and therefore feel unable to take action. You may be feeling significant levels of anxiety, depression, stress, anger, and/or grief, all of which are highly appropriate responses to the situation at hand.

Therapy Can Address Collapse Awareness

Working with a therapist who is collapse-aware and has experience in existential and humanistic approaches can help. A therapist can work with you to understand how your specific psychological make-up is impacting the way you are experiencing collapse awareness. Therapy can help you work through your options, your supports, and bolster your self-empowerment in order to take the right actions for your life. In therapy, you can work through seemingly impossible feelings and learn how to communicate more effectively with loved ones about collapse. You can learn how to employ therapeutic skills and techniques to regulate, self-soothe, and cope with your experience in order to adopt a balanced and rational framework from which to live a values-aligned life. In therapy you can receive resources to get connected to like-minded community and understand the implications of your experiences on your present day circumstances as well as your future plans. Through therapy, you can come to an understanding of how you personally want to move forward.