Are we suffering from a collective post-traumatic stress disorder?
Prof. Dr. Klaus Hurrelmann puts forward this theory in an interview with the taz newspaper. And it would be no wonder: climate crisis, pandemic, war, inflation, growing refugee flows - that's what's creating us.
The "Youth in Germany" study included people up to the age of 30, but also the age groups 30 to 50 and 50 to 70 in order to be able to better show the development of young people in context.
Broadly speaking, this study examined the state of society after the pandemic and the results are astonishing and far-reaching.
What burdens us so much?
The pandemic and lockdowns have led to severe disruptions to the normal rhythm of life for the first time in many decades. There was a feeling of being out of step.
The biggest problem in this context is the feeling of loss of control.
Added to this is collective exhaustion. This results in an analogy to the clinical picture of post-traumatic stress disorder - although this diagnosis cannot, of course, be made for society as a whole.
But there is something to the theory: we are all familiar with the breakdown that occurs after a period of great tension. The fact that this now occurs collectively almost borders on logic.
After such a phase, we would actually need peace and quiet, but this is by no means a given, as the issues that are currently keeping the world on tenterhooks are monstrous and leave little room for optimism and confidence.
How does this manifest itself?
According to Prof. Dr. Hurrelmann, the overall social symptomatology manifests itself in three directions:
Firstly, in the form of mental disorders. Anxiety, eating disorders and depression are on the rise.
Many find their outlet in aggression - it is actually noticeably on the rise collectively.
Political attitudes are also becoming more extreme.
Thirdly, addiction to legal and illegal drugs, but also to video games or the use of digital devices in general, is also an alternative strategy.
It seems that the feeling of "beaming away" must be prevalent.
What is the consequence?
Our exhaustion and emotional powerlessness in the face of crises make us vulnerable. We are looking for relief.
This is where conspiracy theories come in. They show us supposed causes and present "culprits" for the major problems. We've all heard it before, the CIA invented the virus and humans have no part in climate change - so there is no pressure to act and the individual is off the hook. Somehow this longing for relief is totally understandable.
What to do?
The logical conclusion is that there are three essential things.
As a human being, I need the feeling that I can understand the world.
I need to believe that the overwhelming challenges we are currently facing can be overcome.
I need the certainty that the whole thing somehow makes sense and that it is worth investing in the future.
pro.earth conclusion
Strengthening these three pillars is the requirement for all future endeavors. If they begin to falter, pessimism, aggression and hopelessness with all their side effects will take over. We want to counter this decisively. 💚
