Today I visited the Nordiska museet and I was very impressed by the exhibition “The Arctic – While the Ice is Melting” at a certain point of the set up I came to this caption:
“Panic and climate anxiety
The word panic comes from the name of the Greek demigod Pan. According to legend, he used to scare the goats to death. Medicine describes panic as a sudden emotional response that overwhelms and paralyzes. One possible reaction is to flee from real or perceived danger.
Reports and visible evidence of climate change trigger climate anxiety in some people, resulting in discomfort, depression and a sense of helplessness. Climate anxiety can involve recurring thoughts about disaster and emotional distress about what is to come. It is often young people who are affected. Climate anxiety can lead to panic attacks, a sense of impending doom, and a sense that our entire existence and survival are threatened.”
At the end of the exhibition, I panicked too…
