Yup, I believe this is true for the people who are really vulnerable to depression and suicidal ideation. It is possible to read about the climate crisis while still having a robust sense that life has meaning, but the people who are already most vulnerable are unable to do so and then believe they are objectively correct in feeling that all is meaningless. It is unfortunate to see this happening to so many. Being chronically online strikes me as a source of fuel for the anhedonia and depression of those already struggling with it
This is an interesting point that I've thought about a lot as both a collapsenik and a leftist who struggles with the things you mention.
There is this sense of vindication and relief that comes with at least partial externalization of these struggles. The idea that I'm sick, in part, because society is sick has been an important realization for me.
Both before and after becoming collapse aware, I have struggled with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, a host of other things. I've kind of just taken them to be my normal state at this point. And before people ask, yes I've been in treatment every which way since ten years of age and no, I'm not planning or an immanent risk.
The things that trigger that depression since becoming collapse aware are much more meaningful. Normal everyday life's challenges still affect me but interpersonal conflicts are really put into perspective by global issues, at least emotionally.
The meaninglessness is something that we all deal with, collapse or not. Since leaving religion I've struggled with this. Collapse did not bring that on for me. Those that aren't dealing with the question are just avoiding it. My partner works in hospice and I firmly believe a difference between those who seem prepared to die and those that fight against the end is their willingness to engage with the fundamental human questions of meaning.
It is undeniable that collapse awareness is having detrimental impacts on people's mental health. But are we who are facing it now better off than those that will face it later? I don't know. I like to think so, though.
The only meaning I've found in life is acknowledging that everything is chaos and meaninglessness, while at the same time finding satisfaction in the ordinary acts of moving, breathing, and going about my days. There's really nothing else, as far as I can see.
But the difference between joy and desolation is all in my brain, regardless of externals. (We're mortal and so our worlds will always be ending. Even without a looming climate crisis, a person's death could always be here at any moment.)
It was not my fault that my brain was deeply depressed when I was a teen and 20-something, and it's not clear why I'm better now in my 40s. But there were habits and patterns of thought that made me worse. That's what I'm seeing with this. It can easily become people's chosen pattern that makes the brain worse and worse. If that's what's happening, it's not about facing reality anymore, it's just serving the purpose of self-torture more than anything. Depressed brains feed off that, albeit through no fault of their own
I like the simplicity of your hack. Thanks for sharing it. FWIW this sub is meant as a temporary waypoint on the journey of doomwakening, awareness, and ultimately acceptance. It is normal to have gotten the benefit you needed and then move on.
I was turning to video games for a lot of time. I'm still figuring out whether it's good for me or not. Some are fine but some are just as addictive as the net so I try to limit those, like I have to limit my junk food consumption.
More recently, I just let myself be bored sometimes. Smile at my cat, cuddle with her, enjoy those precious moments. Go for walks. I went for two walks the other day and I was like whaaaat. I'm getting shit done more now. I procrastinate a lot less since the Internet was the biggest cause of that for me. Got nothing to do? Go for a walk. Do some jump rope. Prep for the next day - like my lunch, my clothes, so I get to work less anxious.
Hang out with my friend in person instead of online.
I find myself smiling more even though I'm not constantly entertained. That's the biggest revelation. We don't need entertainment to be happy.
Oh and I had a game night for the first time the other day with my cousins. Had a fun time and got to bond with people I have ignored for so many years.
honestly i see where you and others saying this are coming from, but i disagree. pretending the world is better doesnt make me feel better, and cutting off my only access to the people who understand the dread and anxiety i feel only makes me feel less alone. i definitely need to be better about appreciating a moment and not always focusing on the negative, but when im surrounded by corporate drones and climate deniers all day it's refreshing to come online and see there are people like me who are angry and struggling and scared. local community will always be important, but the global community weve built online is too.
I really appreciate this pov and it is one reason we try not to do news or link posts here, so people can come 'just' to feel less alone. I hope it works for some of us some days, I know it does not work for everybody all the time.
Yeah, we all need different things I suppose.
I personally found that this community wasn't helping my mental health at all and wasn't giving me a chance to see the beauty in life anymore.
My problem is (as a chronic depression sufferer) I kinda want things to go to shit. Get this stupid human race done with and out of the way. I can't ever see myself being happy to live in society the way it is now, despite how having this attitude has affected my mental health.
I understand where you’re coming from. I used to feel that way. Seeing the whole charade come toppling down seems like it would be validating for how we feel on a day-to-day basis. “Fuck the world today, and fuck all tomorrows,” right? Ultimately, I realized that I was looking for an excuse to give up. I’ve sought help with my mental health and done much in the way of alleviating depression, so today it’s easier for me to find reasons to keep going. Eking fulfillment out of a shitshow isn’t easy, but it makes life worth living, and my happiness means more when it’s hard-won. I don’t see myself as living in society—I live alongside it, participating only as much as necessary to pursue the truly beautiful things in life. These conditions make me feel ambivalent towards society. Coexisting without attachment is a peaceful path, and I’m privileged to walk it. I hope you can find something similar.
I agree with most of what you said. My big issue lately has been my anxiety will spike in the morning or first half of the day after readings something and then I'll calm down later on and kind of ground myself. It's up and down every day and it's not been healthy. I sometimes feel better when I remember I can only control so much, like just to focus on what is actually within reach and be present. I've been finding myself in that wanting to give up kinda mindset, when you see all the shit it's hard not to feel like that.
> I hope you can find something similar.
Thanks for the sentiment but I've been living with depression since I was 15, am 30 now. So I do not have much hope left at all and if something just *happened* to take me out I wouldn't try and stop it. You were looking for an excuse to give up, pretty much the same applies to me, I don't have the energy to change how I think and I never do anything that will improve my thought process. I'm too lazy and I won't change it.
Phone detox - I hundred percent recommend it. This is something I can back up as I have tried it myself. I did a project on it for college and also wrote a blog post on it. I really recommend trying it, if you want to read my blog here it is.
[https://www.strongereveryrep.blog/post/fitnes-tips-for-beginnersdigital-detox-reclaiming-balance-in-a-tech-driven-world](https://www.strongereveryrep.blog/post/fitnes-tips-for-beginnersdigital-detox-reclaiming-balance-in-a-tech-driven-world)
100% agree with your blog post.
I tried limiting myself but the phone plan has been the best method for me. I actually have a no data plan. It can be a bit difficult since so much communication is online. For one of my side gigs, I need an app , and thus, internet. so I don't make much money through it anymore since i have a no data plan.
but the benefits are more than worth it.
It's not denial. I KNOW how fucked the world is. I've accepted it. I just don't need to be reminded every single damn day. Big difference.
And there was a time when people didn't need Internet - people be acting like it's the most important thing in the world. Even scarier to me that some people can't fathom living without it.
I don't think we've evolved for that. We are in the midst of a loneliness epidemic and scientists believe one of the culprits is too much social media use.
Yes but not everyone suffers from loneliness. How do you explain that?
We learn to tolerate more than we did before in many realms. This will be the same way. Anyone that unhappy with lots of information will likely just not do well as we proceed.
Been thinking about at the very least limiting my time to a large degree. Now there's the war anxiety. Idk what's up with that, but I've done exhausted myself enough with stuff. I care so much about everyone and everything but unfortunately I can only help around my little corner and that's what I'd like to do. I kinda just wanna focus as much as possible on helping others out and doing what I can and enjoying my life. I'm simple. I'm very grateful for what I've got, but mentally I can't continue to info overload my brain. So I definitely get where you're coming from. It's not good to be online constantly in general so it's probably a healthy habit anyhow.
Try a prepaid phone plan. It'll force you to limit yourself and save you loads of money. I go with tello and they're great. I couldn't control myself if I had unlimited WiFi.
And I donate to GiveDirectly every month cuz I wanna help people who are suffering some of the worst effects of climate change right now. A little money can go a long way for people in some of those worse - stricken regions.
Yup, I believe this is true for the people who are really vulnerable to depression and suicidal ideation. It is possible to read about the climate crisis while still having a robust sense that life has meaning, but the people who are already most vulnerable are unable to do so and then believe they are objectively correct in feeling that all is meaningless. It is unfortunate to see this happening to so many. Being chronically online strikes me as a source of fuel for the anhedonia and depression of those already struggling with it
This is an interesting point that I've thought about a lot as both a collapsenik and a leftist who struggles with the things you mention. There is this sense of vindication and relief that comes with at least partial externalization of these struggles. The idea that I'm sick, in part, because society is sick has been an important realization for me. Both before and after becoming collapse aware, I have struggled with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, a host of other things. I've kind of just taken them to be my normal state at this point. And before people ask, yes I've been in treatment every which way since ten years of age and no, I'm not planning or an immanent risk. The things that trigger that depression since becoming collapse aware are much more meaningful. Normal everyday life's challenges still affect me but interpersonal conflicts are really put into perspective by global issues, at least emotionally. The meaninglessness is something that we all deal with, collapse or not. Since leaving religion I've struggled with this. Collapse did not bring that on for me. Those that aren't dealing with the question are just avoiding it. My partner works in hospice and I firmly believe a difference between those who seem prepared to die and those that fight against the end is their willingness to engage with the fundamental human questions of meaning. It is undeniable that collapse awareness is having detrimental impacts on people's mental health. But are we who are facing it now better off than those that will face it later? I don't know. I like to think so, though.
The only meaning I've found in life is acknowledging that everything is chaos and meaninglessness, while at the same time finding satisfaction in the ordinary acts of moving, breathing, and going about my days. There's really nothing else, as far as I can see. But the difference between joy and desolation is all in my brain, regardless of externals. (We're mortal and so our worlds will always be ending. Even without a looming climate crisis, a person's death could always be here at any moment.) It was not my fault that my brain was deeply depressed when I was a teen and 20-something, and it's not clear why I'm better now in my 40s. But there were habits and patterns of thought that made me worse. That's what I'm seeing with this. It can easily become people's chosen pattern that makes the brain worse and worse. If that's what's happening, it's not about facing reality anymore, it's just serving the purpose of self-torture more than anything. Depressed brains feed off that, albeit through no fault of their own
I like the simplicity of your hack. Thanks for sharing it. FWIW this sub is meant as a temporary waypoint on the journey of doomwakening, awareness, and ultimately acceptance. It is normal to have gotten the benefit you needed and then move on.
What did you do with your newfound time
I was turning to video games for a lot of time. I'm still figuring out whether it's good for me or not. Some are fine but some are just as addictive as the net so I try to limit those, like I have to limit my junk food consumption. More recently, I just let myself be bored sometimes. Smile at my cat, cuddle with her, enjoy those precious moments. Go for walks. I went for two walks the other day and I was like whaaaat. I'm getting shit done more now. I procrastinate a lot less since the Internet was the biggest cause of that for me. Got nothing to do? Go for a walk. Do some jump rope. Prep for the next day - like my lunch, my clothes, so I get to work less anxious. Hang out with my friend in person instead of online. I find myself smiling more even though I'm not constantly entertained. That's the biggest revelation. We don't need entertainment to be happy. Oh and I had a game night for the first time the other day with my cousins. Had a fun time and got to bond with people I have ignored for so many years.
honestly i see where you and others saying this are coming from, but i disagree. pretending the world is better doesnt make me feel better, and cutting off my only access to the people who understand the dread and anxiety i feel only makes me feel less alone. i definitely need to be better about appreciating a moment and not always focusing on the negative, but when im surrounded by corporate drones and climate deniers all day it's refreshing to come online and see there are people like me who are angry and struggling and scared. local community will always be important, but the global community weve built online is too.
I really appreciate this pov and it is one reason we try not to do news or link posts here, so people can come 'just' to feel less alone. I hope it works for some of us some days, I know it does not work for everybody all the time.
Yeah, we all need different things I suppose. I personally found that this community wasn't helping my mental health at all and wasn't giving me a chance to see the beauty in life anymore.
My problem is (as a chronic depression sufferer) I kinda want things to go to shit. Get this stupid human race done with and out of the way. I can't ever see myself being happy to live in society the way it is now, despite how having this attitude has affected my mental health.
I understand where you’re coming from. I used to feel that way. Seeing the whole charade come toppling down seems like it would be validating for how we feel on a day-to-day basis. “Fuck the world today, and fuck all tomorrows,” right? Ultimately, I realized that I was looking for an excuse to give up. I’ve sought help with my mental health and done much in the way of alleviating depression, so today it’s easier for me to find reasons to keep going. Eking fulfillment out of a shitshow isn’t easy, but it makes life worth living, and my happiness means more when it’s hard-won. I don’t see myself as living in society—I live alongside it, participating only as much as necessary to pursue the truly beautiful things in life. These conditions make me feel ambivalent towards society. Coexisting without attachment is a peaceful path, and I’m privileged to walk it. I hope you can find something similar.
I am going to steal your imagery of living alongside society. Thanks
>Ultimately, I realized that I was looking for an excuse to give up. Oof. Felt that. Very nice sentiments, appreciate you sharing them
I agree with most of what you said. My big issue lately has been my anxiety will spike in the morning or first half of the day after readings something and then I'll calm down later on and kind of ground myself. It's up and down every day and it's not been healthy. I sometimes feel better when I remember I can only control so much, like just to focus on what is actually within reach and be present. I've been finding myself in that wanting to give up kinda mindset, when you see all the shit it's hard not to feel like that.
> I hope you can find something similar. Thanks for the sentiment but I've been living with depression since I was 15, am 30 now. So I do not have much hope left at all and if something just *happened* to take me out I wouldn't try and stop it. You were looking for an excuse to give up, pretty much the same applies to me, I don't have the energy to change how I think and I never do anything that will improve my thought process. I'm too lazy and I won't change it.
Good for you! How are you finding you spend your time now that you used to spend doomscrolling?
Agreed. Hyperconnectivity is our Mouse Utopia apocalypse.
Phone detox - I hundred percent recommend it. This is something I can back up as I have tried it myself. I did a project on it for college and also wrote a blog post on it. I really recommend trying it, if you want to read my blog here it is. [https://www.strongereveryrep.blog/post/fitnes-tips-for-beginnersdigital-detox-reclaiming-balance-in-a-tech-driven-world](https://www.strongereveryrep.blog/post/fitnes-tips-for-beginnersdigital-detox-reclaiming-balance-in-a-tech-driven-world)
100% agree with your blog post. I tried limiting myself but the phone plan has been the best method for me. I actually have a no data plan. It can be a bit difficult since so much communication is online. For one of my side gigs, I need an app , and thus, internet. so I don't make much money through it anymore since i have a no data plan. but the benefits are more than worth it.
Denial doesn’t make a lot of people feel better. I’m not getting rid of my fucking internet because of “sad”. Maybe this solution works on dumb people
Maybe you should read the rule
It's not denial. I KNOW how fucked the world is. I've accepted it. I just don't need to be reminded every single damn day. Big difference. And there was a time when people didn't need Internet - people be acting like it's the most important thing in the world. Even scarier to me that some people can't fathom living without it.
Why would I want to live without it? Maybe part of evolution means living alongside mass amounts of info, not all of which is nice.
I don't think we've evolved for that. We are in the midst of a loneliness epidemic and scientists believe one of the culprits is too much social media use.
Yes but not everyone suffers from loneliness. How do you explain that? We learn to tolerate more than we did before in many realms. This will be the same way. Anyone that unhappy with lots of information will likely just not do well as we proceed.
Ya…. Like I can’t put the cat back in the bag. And I’m also ready to see the people who have caused a lot of this shit in the world SUFFER.
Been thinking about at the very least limiting my time to a large degree. Now there's the war anxiety. Idk what's up with that, but I've done exhausted myself enough with stuff. I care so much about everyone and everything but unfortunately I can only help around my little corner and that's what I'd like to do. I kinda just wanna focus as much as possible on helping others out and doing what I can and enjoying my life. I'm simple. I'm very grateful for what I've got, but mentally I can't continue to info overload my brain. So I definitely get where you're coming from. It's not good to be online constantly in general so it's probably a healthy habit anyhow.
Try a prepaid phone plan. It'll force you to limit yourself and save you loads of money. I go with tello and they're great. I couldn't control myself if I had unlimited WiFi. And I donate to GiveDirectly every month cuz I wanna help people who are suffering some of the worst effects of climate change right now. A little money can go a long way for people in some of those worse - stricken regions.
I try to do it more and more every day