Europe’s extreme heat drives surge in mental health visits
Photo: a woman at a psychologist's appointment (freepic.com)
The abnormal heatwave in Europe is increasingly affecting not only people's physical health but also their mental health, leading them to seek psychological help en masse, according to Le Monde.
People's stories
As noted, for 29-year-old Clément from France, the third heatwave of this summer ended with an urgent visit to a psychologist. Even though the man lives in a relatively well-insulated apartment, the temperature inside his home exceeded 30 degrees Celsius within a few days.
To cool down even a little, he had to wet his clothes with water every hour. However, the hardest challenge, he says, was not the physical heat but the psychological pressure.
"I feel anxiety, helplessness, and anger in turn," Clément told journalists.
He explained that this heatwave made him realize the scale of the problem and just how unprepared humanity is, in his opinion, to do even one hundredth of what is necessary to keep the planet habitable.
A similar experience was shared by 25-year-old student Angèle. The turning point for her came during an ordinary walk through the city, when she saw dehydrated birds dying right on the street because of the heat. After that, she experienced her first-ever panic attack.
Later, she learned that a friend of hers had already been without electricity for two days due to damaged cables that could not withstand the extreme temperatures. At the same time, her friend's brother nearly fainted during an oral exam when the air temperature reached 40 degrees.
Comments from specialists
According to psychotherapist Charline Schmerber, she has observed a sharp increase in recent days in the number of young people seeking help.
"We have a huge influx of patients," the specialist noted.
She says people are coming in with panic attacks, acute anxiety, or a state of emotional and physical numbness.
"Such heat can become a trauma for both the body and the mind," Schmerber emphasized.
The psychotherapist explains that extreme temperatures weaken the body's and mind's ability to cope with stress, which can significantly exacerbate existing anxiety disorders.
As recently reported, almost 3,000 people died in France in a single week due to the heat, and this is only the official figure.
The heatwave has claimed lives not only in France. According to official data, about 10,000 people have died across Europe due to the abnormal heat.
