Solastalgia
Solastalgia () is a neologism, formed by the combination of the Latin words sōlācium (solace or comfort), ‘solus’ (desolation) with meanings connected to devastation, deprivation of comfort, abandonment and loneliness and the Greek root -algia (pain, suffering, grief), that describes a form of emotional or existential distress caused by negatively perceived environmental change. A distinction can be made between solastalgia as the lived experience of negatively perceived change in the present and eco-anxiety linked to worry or concern about what may happen in the future (associated with “pre-traumatic stress”, in reference to post-traumatic stress).
Solastalgia is the distress, pain, or longing caused by the significant and negative environmental changes to one’s home environment, essentially a “homesickness you feel while you are still at home”. Coined by philosopher Glenn Albrecht, the term combines the Latin word for comfort (solacium) with the Greek word for pain (algia). It differs from nostalgia, which is homesickness for a place one is away from; solastalgia is the profound grief and disorientation experienced when one’s familiar surroundings are degraded by factors like climate change, pollution, or resource extraction.
Key Characteristics of Solastalgia
“Homesickness while at home”: The core experience of solastalgia is a feeling of loss and dislocation, even though the individual has not moved.
Grief and Loss: It involves intense sadness, grief, and a sense of loss over a once-familiar and comforting environment that has been altered.
Disorientation: Individuals may feel ungrounded, unsettled, or unsafe in their own homes due to the environmental changes.
Connection to Environmental Degradation: Solastalgia is closely linked to the negative impacts of human activities such as climate change, pollution, mining, and other forms of unsustainable development.
Examples of Solastalgia
A farmer experiencing the prolonged effects of a drought on their land.
A city dweller suffering distress from constant noise and air pollution.
Someone living near open-cut coal mines or other large industrial operations that alter the landscape.
Residents impacted by wildfires that devastate their local areas.
Causes and Origins
Environmental Change: The primary driver is the degradation and desolation of the natural environment, both built and natural landscapes.
Chronic Stressors: Factors like climate change, industrial activities, and other ongoing environmental problems contribute to this distress.
Philosophical Roots: Glenn Albrecht first conceptualized the term around 2003 and formally published it in 2005 to describe the mental and psychological toll of environmental damage.
AI responses may include mistakes.
[3] https://bureauoflinguisticalreality.com/portfolio/solastalgia/
[4] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38085273/
[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18027145/
[9] https://www.verywellmind.com/solastalgia-definition-symptoms-traits-causes-treatment-5089413
[10] https://theconversation.com/the-age-of-solastalgia-8337
[11] https://artistsandclimatechange.com/2020/08/20/solastalgia/