I'm a climate scientist. If you knew what I know, you'd be scared too.

Climate change is a pressing concern worldwide, however, the emotional and psychological toll it takes on the very people studying it, more often than not, is overlooked. This article seeks to explore how dealing with the potential implications of climate change, day in and day out, leads to a scare factor unique to these climate scientists.

Closely examining climate change results is a daunting task. It involves constant immersion in data that indicates an increasingly dire future for our planet. Imagine dedicating every working day to research that invariably leads to the same conclusion: our planet is on a catastrophic path, and time to alter that course is quickly running out.

This constant bombardment of disturbing information causes a unique form of stress called 'eco-anxiety'. Sufferers are typically people who aren't just aware of climate change, they are steeped in it. Fixated on melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and increasing global temperatures, etched deeply in their minds is an apocalyptic vision of the world's possible future.

Eco-anxiety isn't officially recognised as a mental health condition yet. However, health professionals increasingly acknowledge that it's a very real, palpable form of distress. Anything that impacts people in a collective way, causing significant stress and worry, is a valid mental health concern. It's a mental health epidemic of a different kind.

Mental health professionals aren't the only ones recognising this growing issue. Across the globe, various institutions reported an increase in climate-related anxiety, depression, and feelings of helplessness. What's even more troubling is that this is evident among those on the front line of climate change: climate scientists.

Climate scientists are at the epicentre of climate change, doing the painstaking work of documenting the rise in global temperatures, and the effects this is having on the environment. They are continually exposed to the unimaginable truth that we are reaching a point of no return. While their work is critical, the psychological burden of the knowledge they acquire is equally daunting.

Prolonged exposure to this catastrophic narrative results in more than just anxiety. Many scientists report feelings of grief, mourning the loss of species, ecosystems and a way of life. Similar in some ways to anticipatory grief, it's a type of mental distress sparked by the knowledge of impending disaster.

Dealing with the impending effects of climate change not only induces a high level of anxiety, it can also lead to a crippling sense of powerlessness. Climate scientists aren't just feeling anxious; they’re feeling overwhelmed. Working on solutions may act as a form of distraction, but the issue at hand is so enormous that it tends to dwarf any effort to counter it.

Researchers have coined a term for this feeling: 'climate despair'. It’s the sense of hopelessness that ensues when we realise that the problem is bigger than we can handle. While eco-anxiety is the fear of what's coming, climate despair is the whale of defeat, the fear that we’ve already lost.

A 2018 study published in Nature Climate Change surveyed over 500 climate scientists. Assuming that interacting with depressing data about climate change might affect them, the researchers investigated. Results confirmed their assumptions: higher instances of self-reported depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders were significantly more prevalent among these scientists.

The collective sense of doom takes its toll over time. Climate researchers, much like soldiers in a war zone, are dealing with a traumatic form of stress. Researchers are developing the concept of 'climate trauma' as a result of these observed effects on mental health, drawing parallels with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Perpetual immersion in grim data about climate change can create emotional hurdles for these scientists. The feeling of being psychologically alone, misunderstood by family and friends, and often berated by skeptics, can also be isolating. Several reports suggest that climate scientists often struggle with maintaining emotional distance from their work.

Coping mechanisms become an absolute necessity in such circumstances. Many scientists report finding solace in focusing on their sense of purpose and utilizing support networks. A key to managing eco-anxiety and climate despair then, may lie in fostering a sense of community and pushing for collective action.

Increased awareness about this issue presents an opportunity to reevaluate how we conduct climate science. By taking the mental health of our scientists into consideration and providing the necessary support structures, we could help alleviate some of this burden.

Addressing eco-anxiety and climate despair requires reframing the climate change narrative. Scare tactics may provoke immediate reactions, but they can also lead to paralysis. To sustain the necessary long-term action, we need to encourage hope and convey the message that it's not too late to make a difference.

Climate change is a scary reality, but dwelling on fear alone may not be the most effective approach. Encouragement, coupled with the reality check that the situation is still manageable if we act now, could prove more effective.

An open dialogue about the feelings this crisis stirs up is crucial. By normalising mental health discussions in the context of climate change, we can reduce the isolating nature of the trauma. More understanding, compassion, and support from co-workers, friends, and families of climate scientists could alleviate the heavy psychological toll of their work.

Lastly, recognising the trauma climate scientists experience may give us greater insight into the complexity of climate change's societal impact. By addressing the psychological implications along with the physical ones, we could perhaps move towards a more holistic approach to this global crisis.

Within the alarming discourse surrounding climate change, the psychological impact on those confronting it daily can't be ignored anymore. It's time to recognise the valuable work these scientists are doing and to help them bear the emotional weight that comes with it.