Solastalgia is defined as a type of anxiety disorder related to climate change and other natural phenomena related to human actions. In a way, we can consider that it is a consequence of our new way of life, of the estrangement of human beings from nature.
Solastalgia makes us feel distant from some of the fundamental components of our ancient way of life as a species: fauna, flora, fauna.
- Historically.
- The relationship with our environment has not been easy and there has always been some conflict.
- The basis of this conflict lies in the diversity of opinions; one of them is whether we should integrate into nature as part of it or.
- On the contrary.
- Use our capabilities to shape the environment according to our needs and desires.
In the midst of this conflict of opinion appears the feeling of solastalgia, when a person looks around and feels that something is wrong, when you look at the trees, flowers or the sky and you can’t help but feel a little sad. .
Interestingly, the most common thing is that people feel happier and calmer in a safe natural environment than when surrounded by cement and the stress of a big city.
In his book “The Last Child of Nature,” writer Richard Louv coined the term “nature deficit disorder. “This curious phenomenon is associated with an increase in cases of attention deficit, obesity and depression, as well as other physical and mental health problems. Problems.
This lack of nature can especially affect children, who unconsciously feel the need to have more contact with the natural environment through excursions to the countryside, the sea or the mountains.
This disconnection from the world can help us improve our concentration levels, as well as reduce the stress accumulated during the day or the feeling of irritation. In addition, spending more time in contact with nature can help us relax and avoid the risk of developing respiratory diseases from pollution in urban environments.
As mentioned above, obesity is also related to this disorder, as well as hyperactivity and lack of vitamin D. All of these symptoms can cause diseases of relative severity, all due to the simple lack of more frequent contact with the natural environment.
The normal thing is that the natural environment and the landscape are a source of tranquility and satisfaction, this is called topophilia, a feeling typical of people who have love for the place where they grew up or where they live, often characterized by a natural environment. .
However, a positive feeling like topophilia can become solastalgia when it ends up being invaded by a contaminated thermal power plant, when a forest is burned or when trees are cut down to build a road.
The person who suffers from solastalgia then feels that there is an undesirable change in his environment and that he has lost something irreversibly, in this sense the solastalgia can resemble nostalgia, only with the peculiarity of feeling in the present and in the place in question.
Due to the continuous changes in the natural environment due to globalization, solastalgia is an increasingly common feeling, effects such as climate change, urbanization and the relentless production and waste of plastics greatly influence this phenomenon, in addition, it can also be caused by the ubiquity of technology, which continuously changes our environment.
Other effects include mining activities, the extension of land dedicated to agriculture and agriculture, and the construction of factories, power plants or roads, all threatening the integrity of natural landscapes, so many people who feel part of nature develop feelings of stress and sadness.
As a possible solution to the problem of solastalgia, a good method could be to try to promote other feelings of attachment to nature and life, for example, biophilia, which is attachment to living beings, or eutierrie, which is love for the connection between the Earth and living beings.