Corona, war, climate – how many crises can we (v) endure?

Helmut B. (name changed) from Linz turns on the television every evening and watches the news – a ritual that has been loved for decades. Crises were always there, says Helmut, but usually they took place far away from the cozy couch in the Salzkammergut. Now it’s different: he sees terrible images of Putin’s war in Ukraine, followed by the Corona news that has accompanied us for two years.

The 75-year-old has had enough of it for a while, and more and more often he quickly turns off the television. The reason: he’s had enough of the crises. Many Austrians are currently in the same situation as Mr B. At first, a pandemic exhausted us in ways we could never have imagined. Then the tsar of the Kremlin rains bombs on a country whose border is only a few hundred kilometers from our own.

The result is record inflation and rising prices, accompanied by an energy crisis the likes of which hardly anyone has ever experienced. This increases the fear of sliding into poverty. In addition, food is becoming scarcer and the shelves are empty. Not to mention the political mud battles and corruption escapades.

Disorders, Anxieties and Increase in Depression
What does that do to us? Psychologist Christa Schirl observes the consequences in her practice. Almost everyone has suffered from insomnia in the past two years. “We are weak, tired, as if all energy is gone,” says the therapist. Anxieties of all kinds, especially existential anxiety, are on the rise. A huge burden on the soul.

How much bad news do we have left to endure? A question many ask themselves. The answer is not simple, but it is clear that crises in the heart of Europe, unlike in other parts of the world, have not been on the agenda of peace in recent decades. “We assumed security. Crises ask us to develop muscles, to become resilient,” says Schirl. So resilient in dealing with crises.

But that can be learned, says Schirl. Because in every crisis there is an opportunity to get stronger. In the spirit of a quote from Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking. Responding to the warning “The storm is getting stronger,” she says, “It doesn’t matter. Me too.”