"Even when our own lives are relatively stable, constant exposure to war, political unrest, climate crises, and humanitarian suffering activates the brain's threat system. The nervous system is not designed to distinguish between danger that is physically nearby and danger that is emotionally vivid or repeatedly witnessed. Over time, this creates chronic vigilance. When people observe patterns of harm, exclusion, or dehumanization playing out publicly, the body registers risk."
"Moral distress occurs when deeply held values collide with limited power. As a result, many people notice increased anxiety, irritability, difficulty concentrating, emotional numbness, or a persistent sense of guilt when they experience pleasure or rest. Others describe feeling morally conflicted, as though continuing daily life means they are somehow uncaring or complicit. What is happening here is not indifference. It is moral distress."
Global conflicts, climate crises, political unrest, and humanitarian suffering activate the brain's threat system even when personal circumstances are stable. The nervous system does not reliably distinguish between proximate physical danger and emotionally vivid or repeatedly witnessed threats, producing chronic vigilance. Observing public patterns of harm, exclusion, or dehumanization causes the body to register risk without direct personal impact. Many people experience increased anxiety, irritability, trouble concentrating, emotional numbness, or persistent guilt during rest and pleasure. Moral distress emerges when deeply held values collide with limited power to stop visible harm, creating pressure that can lead to burnout or numbness when sustained.
Read at Psychology Today
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]