/r/CollapseSupport

Photograph via snooOG

A dedicated place for thoughtful discussion about the state of the world as it stands today and how we are coping. We would like to gear this sub towards a focus on often casual, sometimes serious, but always fundamentally supportive conversation between people who are concerned about collapse. Generally, posts with the most traction are the ones seeking support and so you will find the support in the comments not the OP.

A dedicated place for thoughtful discussion about the state of the world as it stands today and how we are coping. We would like to gear this sub towards a focus on often casual, sometimes serious, but always fundamentally supportive conversation between people who are concerned about collapse. Generally, posts with the most traction are the ones seeking support and so you will find the support in the comments not the OP.


Disclaimer

Overindulging in this sub may be detrimental to your mental health. Anxiety and depression are common reactions when studying collapse. Please remain conscious of your mental health and effects this may have on you. If you are considering suicide, please call a hotline, visit r/SuicideWatch, r/SWResources, r/depression, or seek professional help. Suicidal content will be removed. Suggesting others commit suicide will result in an immediate ban.


Collapse Support Discord


Rules:

  1. Please practice empathy and respect when addressing other members of the community.

As of now, both links and text posts are allowed. We may want to limit it to just text posts in the future if it's determined that doing so would be best for the community and the sake of the subreddit's direction and traffic. Articles, video, or music that have helped you cope positively are welcome.


Many of us have or are currently coping with depression. There's evidence that depression may lift the veil on some key cultural myths, via depressive realism, and many of us have come to grasp collapse concepts while in a depressed state. We have an elevated risk of suicide. This subreddit is not capable of offering suicide intervention, but the outstanding people at /r/SuicideWatch have taken up that mission. Please be advised that there are also phone and chat suicide prevention resources available to you.

The concept of collapse is terrifying and deeply troubling. Arguably, there is still for hope for survival and adaptation. Civilizations and climates have collapsed before. While this one is likely to be extreme, it is helpful to remember that we are all the descendants of previous survivors. We evolved from lifeforms that survived previous mass extinctions. We are all descendants of humans that survived the numerous known civilization collapses. These are slow moving phenomena that often take generations to play out. Hopefully we can live well in the shadow of collapse and make the most of foresight.


Please enjoy your stay and share what's on your mind!

Parents: please consider joining r/collapse_parenting as an additional place of collapse support

/r/CollapseSupport

34,508 Subscribers

1

Could someone reccomend me some resources on how to deal with eco-anxiety/grief?

Or at least regular anxiety/grief. Few days ago i've made a post here in which i asked for some advice regarding my future and while some of the comments were relatively helpful, i've also realised that i may have another problem. To keep it short, i've found myself in a flawed circle which goes more or less like this:

  1. I read about some climate-related disaster, new unnerving study or literally anything related to ecological collapse.
  2. I start digging into the topic more and more, which causes stress and anxiety to build up.
  3. I start panicking and have hard time concentrating on my day-to-day life.
  4. I eventually expirience a mental breakdown of some sort.
  5. A moment of calmness comes in, i randomly pick up my phone to scroll trough some memes or whatever and then suddenly i go back to stage 1

I'm not sure if i put it in words well enough, but nonethless i've been going on like this for months now. At this point i've started to feel symptoms associated with severe/long-term stress including physical pain (mostly headaches), shaking, weight loss, problems with concentration and so on. I even managed to make my denialist parents concerned about me enough for them to suggest me going to a therapy (they don't belive in mental health either so i guess that's concerning). The thing is, i've heard multiple times that therapy can't really help with external issuses, so i don't know if it's really worth it. I've also tired to find some internet resources on that myself, but couldn't find anything that wouldn't downplay the issue or outright deny it's existence. Therefore i ask for help on how to manage my feelings of dread and despair, at least for the next few years until multiple breadbasket failures finally hit my country and i die a horrible, slow and painful death of starvation.

0 Comments
2025/02/01
22:14 UTC

58

You CAN make a difference

Don't do the following.

I found this. I wouldn't engage such behavior, ever.

WHAT TO DO AT AN ICE CHECKPOINT, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE WHITE and/or FEEL THE NEED TO JAM UP THE WORKS. Here's the deal:

šŸ”˜ Border Patrol can verify citizenship within 100 miles of a border or "external boundary." This includes coastlines, so NYC, Philadelphia, and all of NJ are within the 100-mile zone.

šŸ”˜ Border patrol can only ask brief questions about citizenship, and they cannot hold you for an extended time without cause.

šŸ”˜ You always have the right to remain silent. You do not need to answer their questions.

šŸ”˜ WITH THAT SAID, IF YOU ARE A BORN CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE WHITE, YOU NEED TO SPEAK UP.

šŸ”˜ The most important acts of resistance are the small ones. Make it difficult and uncomfortable for ICE agents to do their jobs. They are counting on citizens to turn a blind eye and allow them to deport undocumented citizens without challenge. Disabuse of that notion.

šŸ”˜ If you are on a train, bus, or anything else and ICE or CBP boards, you need to stand up and loudly let everyone know that they have the right to remain silent or only answer questions in the presence of an attorney, no matter their citizenship or immigration status. There have been numerous reports that confronting the agents in this way has caused them to leave without verifying citizenship. THIS CAN SAVE LIVES. šŸ™Œ

šŸ”˜ If you see anyone being held up by immigration, loudly ask if they are being detained and if they are free to go.

šŸ”˜ Immigration officers cannot detain anyone without reasonable suspicion, an agent must have specific facts about you that make it reasonable to believe you are committing or committed, a violation of immigration law or federal law. If an agent detains you, you can ask for their basis for reasonable suspicion, and they should tell you.

šŸ”˜ Always say no to a search and let everyone know that they can and should refuse consent to a search.

šŸ”˜ They cannot search or arrest anyone without facts about that make it probable that they are committing, or committed, a violation of immigration law or federal law.

šŸ”˜ Silence alone meets neither of these standards. Nor does race or ethnicity alone suffice for either probable cause or reasonable suspicion

šŸ”˜ white citizens, you have a level of privilege which protects you from retaliation from ICE for being "rude" and making a scene, which makes it your DUTY to speak up and make sure people without the same privilege know their rights. GET LOUD. YELL. YELL IN SPANISH IF YOU KNOW IT. LET PEOPLE KNOW THEY DON'T HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING. MAKE ICE UNCOMFORTABLE. THROW SAND IN THE GEARS OF WHITE SUPREMACY.

ā­ļø Bonus info ā­ļø šŸ”˜It is perfectly legal to record immigration agents as long as you are not on government property or at a port of entry. If your train/bus gets boarded, pull your phone out and start videotaping immediately.

šŸ”˜ If you are detained or see someone getting detained, get the agent's name, number, and any other identifying information. Get it on video if possible.

šŸ”˜ Contact the ACLU or your local Immigrant/Migrant support orgs (Rapid Response Network if you're in CO - 1-844-864-8341) if you see someone's rights being violated. (this has been copy and pasted)

2 Comments
2025/02/01
18:32 UTC

14

Iā€™m going to keep doing what Iā€™ve been doing in the meantime.

I was out of the US during most of January somewhere in Asia that I didnā€™t have Internet. Iā€™m back, disappointed to hear how bad itā€™s gotten and sad there isnā€™t some type of response to the worst things weā€™re hearing about. But that said, Iā€™m going to keep doing the things that have gotten me to this point until we can do more:

  1. I quit alcohol and all forms of substance abuse while teetering on homelessness pre-COVID. I plugged into my local recovery communities (AA, SMART) and learned a lot about how to support other people as well. When COVID hit, I had plenty of people I could talk to and sort things out with.

  2. During Covid and the following inflation, I was an on and off again prepper-lite. I start buying in bulk - dry goods, batteries, canned goods. It takes some planning if you want to take this to the 10th degree but starting with some water, some dry rice and some batteries doesnā€™t take much thought and will get you far in a short-term crisis.

  3. On that note, Iā€™m also going hiking and camping! I started doing that to clear my head but it also supplements nicely learning skills and acquiring things for living simply in a weaker future America. Plus, we should see our natural beauty before itā€™s gone. Many of the SoCal spots I ā€œalmost didnā€™t go toā€ will now be unavailable to the public for months due to fire. I went camping with some friends far from where thereā€™s reception shortly after the Election and Iā€™m so glad we didnā€™t cancel. It was a relief.

  4. I personally started going to Buddhist and Hindu monasteries over recent years. This is niche to me and something Iā€™ve been interested in for years but thereā€™ll be parallels for other peopleā€™s interests. The key thing are community and finding something that takes you beyond the moment of a crisis.

Not only has this helped me get out of my head and worrying about daily life, Iā€™ve met an entire network of pretty solid people. Some of them are monastics, most are not but they generally all share a thoughtful, compassionate and anti-consumerist worldview. Theyā€™re who I want to have with me in a crisis because they wonā€™t panic.

As a secondary consequence, Iā€™ve now stayed at monasteries in Asia, which is a whole other level of education on living resiliently. Iā€™ve had taxi drivers try to scam me on the way and people give me counterfeit bills. Iā€™ve ate on less than a dollar easily eating monastic food (rice, vegetable curries) that you could easily replicate in America for not too much more. Iā€™ve seen really gnarly things (ex. dead dogs in the street), gone into the meditation hall, sat and gone about my day.

0 Comments
2025/02/01
17:59 UTC

6

Need some support in guilt regarding career choice.

I have always ALWAYS been an environmental nut. Im vegetarian, almost everything I own is thrifted/secondhand/handmade. I shop at zero waste markets when I can, and I walk and take public transport everywhere and I recycle. I rarely do out of country vacations, and when I do, I take the train. My whole lifestyle is centered around living sustainably.

I am currently studying my bachelors in industrial design. I chose the education because of how broad it is. I know I could make an impact as an industrial designer; designing more sustainable/biodegradeable packaging, designing more energy efficient lights and screens, etc etc. In this education especially, we are constantly reminded of the efficacy of how we use materials, and how it is to be sold. But I think it would fully eat up my life. I already have so much climate anxiety. I have also had a dream of animating/designing for video games and film since I was a kid. I feel like it's what I was made to do, because I love visual storytelling. But I feel guilt wanting to pursue this. Why should I be sitting by an energy hungry screen all day, making movies/games that inevitably will be made into pointless plastic merch, when I could be making an impact? Even so, I am located in Sweden, and the worst practices are going on overseas.

When assessing my own climate footprint, I can almost feel like I should just stop existing, because then I'm one less perpetrator. Im not going to go into the social aspect of environmentalism this time around, but it all feels so pointless with how everyone around me is treating it.

Maybe some words of encouragement could be nice. I feel guilt and anger and sorrow that I don't know what to do with.

7 Comments
2025/02/01
16:53 UTC

1

Feeling this song tonight ...

1 Comment
2025/02/01
05:40 UTC

51

We didn't get the happy ending of a high-stakes movie ā€“ instead, we're in the pilot episode of a 5 season long dystopian TV Series.

It certainly Feels that way. And it's getting scarier everyday.

think Handmaiden's tale or Snowpiercer

Or for gamers, Cyberpunk 2077 (but minus all the badass futuristic technology)

"I'm just gettin' started" - Negan, The Walking Dead

3 Comments
2025/02/01
04:03 UTC

727

I feel so angry at Trump voters for bringing this on.

Thatā€™s it. Iā€™m angry. Iā€™m sad. Iā€™m disappointed. They threw our country in the trash. Theyā€™ve ruined America. I donā€™t know where we go from here but itā€™s not good. I feel really depressed.

73 Comments
2025/02/01
02:52 UTC

47

A disturbing thought: it isnā€™t just women who need to fear being targeted by the oligarchs.

We all know just how bad women are likely to suffer during the coming years and decades. You can get a glimpse of that just from r/Natalism. I just realized after watching Renegade Cut, and its video on dwindling military recruitment, men and boys in the future USA are probably as screwed as they are now in Russia. Schools will probably become training facilities for boys, and the draft will become mandatory. Uncle Sam seems to be getting increasingly frustrated with people not signing up for service, even with all the poverty and homelessness on the rise.

I have a feeling we are all going to be exploited in to the utmost in the coming years. Definitely glad I donā€™t have children.

https://youtu.be/ESRbOvqG7h8?si=8-RsYlXgRmGjZcHI

5 Comments
2025/02/01
01:25 UTC

26

Sometimes you are the kitty (or whatever that is) and sometimes you are the bear. Discuss this alchemy at the Sunday support call, 1900 UTC, on discord. Deets in the comment. OK to speak/type or just listen.

2 Comments
2025/02/01
00:10 UTC

19

Thankful for ā€œPovertyā€

Iā€™ve been struggling with obtaining full time employment for about a year now. Itā€™s been a pretty big adjustment and Iā€™ve shed some tears over it. However, as we are facing more shortages and supply chain disruptions, Iā€™m thankful for the struggle because I have learned to live with less! Iā€™ve had to get creative, repurpose things, find food on the literal street (e.g., people who leave out extra food in front of their homeā€”cans, fruit from their trees, vegetables from their gardens). And Iā€™ve come to realize that I can go without and that there is a lot of generosity if we take the time to slow down and look for it.

Iā€™m fearful, like many on this sub, but humans are stubborn and tenaciousā€”for better or worse. Find community wherever you can and if you canā€™t find it, make it! Iā€™m lucky to live in a communal housing arrangement, and even when Iā€™m low, I know I still have a safety net if/when I need it.

Things can feel bleak when we are staring into the unknown, but take a minute to refocus your attention to the now. Even if youā€™re struggling, there is beauty to be found.

0 Comments
2025/01/31
23:31 UTC

175

Nothing on this sub makes me feel any better

Iā€™m just smoking weed, ignoring the news and trying to focus on videogames or other stupid shit to not lose it. But as a landscaper, today I was working and the snow has been melting after the biggest snowstorm in 138 years to hit my area and noticed that the grass is still green. Itā€™s still growing. Itā€™s the middle of the fucking winter and the grass is green. And my fucking dipshit trump supporting coworkers looked at it, went ā€œhuh, thatā€™s weirdā€ and went right on with their day. They donā€™t believe climate change is real. I did too, to blend in. Why do I have to do that? But holy shit itā€™s sent me spiraling. I donā€™t think the grass will turn brown this year. How can anyone be that fucking obtuse?

Am I the weird one? Am I the freak for noticing this? For spending the rest of my day annoyed with them? For getting home, hopping in the shower, and thinking about how thereā€™s no point in me ever having children? For playing out the conversation in my head of me talking to whoever I end up with about why Iā€™m refusing to have kids? Iā€™m feeling real fucking depressed right now.

26 Comments
2025/01/31
22:57 UTC

148

If you're considering moving abroad, DO IT!

So your country is collapsing into a dumpster fire. It happens. No need to freak. Now you have 195 others to choose from! About 50 of which aren't collapsing today, or in the near future, and are radical improvements anyways.

Going from Bernie being on track to winning to Clinton, and then to Trump actually winning in 2016 completely freaked me out, which led me to leaving, which turned out even better than I'd hoped. Genuinely the best decision of my life. You'll hear most others saying similar things. Silver F*g Linings!

If you're not considering moving, this post is not for you. But if you are, then here's why you definitely should at least try it, as an experiment if nothing else:

  • You can go r/DigitalNomad first, if that works for you, to try out different places & learn as you go.
  • It's way less expensive than you think.
  • You can get work way easier than you think (which I just found out).
  • Other expats / refugees will help enormously, as will locals and your host, and other travelers, and me, right now. You practically have a support team of all kinds of people set up for you. Most people like helping people.
  • USD goes literally 3x-5x as far in Latin America and several great SE Asia locations, and this translates to EVERYTHING: better place than you currently have AND paying much less for rent, simultaneously; better, safer neighborhood than you currently have, because crime is about 95% in impoverished neighborhoods, not where you'll live; paying much less for food, while also getting far more delicious foods; better climate, location, healthcare, everything.
  • But also, way more friendly, nice, accepting, rational people in general, because they're not being destroyed by their government or toxic narcissist society, which tends to put everyone in a better mood :)
  • There are also ecovillages and intentional communities all over that, while they aren't utopias, work excellently. But just moving to Latin America was all I really needed.

Of course, there's always downsides and sacrifices to make, but they're unquestionably worth it for almost everyone who make the attempt. Learning a new language is hard (but rewarding), there's tons of preparations and adjustments to make, you need to have backup devices and contingency plans for everything, snags happen, and so on.

But if you like traveling and adventuring, you're set. If not, then it might be a tough decision. And if you're not considering moving, or you have legit reasons to stay, then don't move. This post is not for you.

If you are, the following are some of the best resources for individuals considering relocating.

  1. Reddit: r/IWantOut
    A community where users share advice and experiences about emigrating from their home countries, discussing visa processes, cultural adjustments, and more.

  2. Reddit: r/ExpatJobs
    A community sharing job opportunities, work permit information, and career advice for those seeking employment overseas.

  3. Reddit: r/Expat
    A subreddit focused on the expatriate experience, offering insights into living abroad, dealing with culture shock, and navigating legal requirements.

  4. Reddit: r/expats
    A platform for expats to share stories, seek advice, and discuss the challenges and rewards of living in a foreign country.

  5. Reddit: r/AmerExit
    A community discussing the idea of Americans exiting the U.S., often due to political or social reasons, and exploring potential destinations and strategies.

  6. Reddit: r/ExpatFIRE
    Combining the concepts of expatriation and financial independence/retire early (FIRE), this subreddit discusses achieving financial freedom abroad.

  7. Reddit: r/Expatriation
    Focused on the process of expatriation, including legal considerations, tax implications, and personal experiences.

  8. Reddit: r/ExpatLife
    A community sharing the day-to-day experiences of living abroad, from cultural encounters to practical tips.

  9. Reddit: r/Expatriates
    A subreddit for expatriates to connect, share advice, and discuss the nuances of living in a foreign country.

  10. Reddit: r/ExpatSupport
    A supportive community offering guidance and assistance to those facing challenges in their expatriate journey.

  11. Reddit: r/ExpatFinance
    Focused on financial matters for expats, including banking, taxes, investments, and managing money across borders.

  12. Reddit: r/ExpatParents
    A community for expatriate parents to discuss raising children abroad, education options, and parenting challenges in a foreign culture.

  13. Reddit: r/ExpatWomen
    A space for women living abroad to share experiences, seek advice, and discuss topics specific to female expatriates.

  14. Reddit: r/ExpatTeens
    A platform for teenage expats to connect, share their experiences, and discuss the unique challenges they face.

  15. Reddit: r/ExpatKids
    A community focusing on the experiences of younger expatriate children and their parents, discussing education, adaptation, and more.

  16. Reddit: r/ExpatPets
    Dedicated to the care and relocation of pets during international moves, offering advice on regulations, transportation, and pet-friendly destinations.

  17. Reddit: r/ExpatHealth
    A subreddit discussing healthcare options, insurance, and medical considerations for those living abroad.

  18. Reddit: r/ExpatEducation
    Focused on educational opportunities and challenges for expatriates, including international schools, language learning, and higher education abroad.

  19. Reddit: r/ExpatHousing
    Dedicated to housing-related discussions for expats, including finding accommodation, understanding local real estate markets, and dealing with landlords.

Outside of Reddit:

"Want To Leave The U.S.? Countries Welcoming Americans" https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2024/11/06/want-to-leave-the-us-the-best-countries-for-americans-to-move-to/ Breakdown of the most expat-friendly nations and what they offer to U.S. citizens.

"20 Best Countries for Americans Who Want to Live Abroad" https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-tips/best-countries-for-american-expats Comprehensive guide to countries with the best cost of living, safety, and quality of life.

"The Best Countries for American Expats in 2025" https://www.cnn.com/travel/best-countries-for-american-expats-2025/index.html Recent rankings of the top destinations for U.S. expatriates.

"The 9 Best Countries for Americans to Move to Right Now" https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/the-best-countries-for-americans-to-move-to-right-now A look at which countries are the most livable for U.S. expats.

Investopedia: "Retirees Flock to These Countries for Unmatched Benefitsā€”Is Yours on the List?" https://www.investopedia.com/best-countries-to-retire-to-8723066 Focuses on countries with tax-friendly policies and great retiree benefits.

Business Insider: "The 10 Countries with the Most Americans Living Abroad" https://www.businessinsider.com/countries-with-the-most-americans-living-abroad Data on where Americans are moving in the largest numbers and why.

Barron's: "After Trump's Win, Wealthy Americans Rush to Buy 'Golden Visas'" https://www.barrons.com/articles/trump-harris-wealthy-democrat-wealthy-voters-golden-passports-f05b9461 Explores investment-based residency and citizenship options for those looking to relocate.

Global Citizen Solutions: "18 Best Countries to Move to From USA in 2025" https://www.globalcitizensolutions.com/best-countries-to-move-to-from-usa/ A detailed analysis of the best nations for visas, jobs, and permanent residency.

"13 Best Countries For Americans To Move To From The USA" https://www.william-russell.com/blog/best-countries-for-american-expats-to-move-and-live-abroad/ Discusses lifestyle, affordability, and legal pathways for U.S. citizens.

Hope that helps those of you interested in moving abroad!

48 Comments
2025/01/31
20:59 UTC

166

Iā€™m very bitter the next pandemic is possibly coming we are far from prepared

I feel very bitter and angry. When covid happened it destroyed my mental health. I developed contamination ocd and everyday is a struggle to cope. Now bird flu is an existing virus thatā€™s mutated into several variants on the brink of mutating to human to human transmission. Eggs cost have increased and poses a very big threat to food supply in general. Iā€™m just angry and hopeless because we are under an administration in the US thatā€™s so backwards and uneducated. We are doomed. Everyone is obviously in denial because most canā€™t fathom another pandemic. When we havenā€™t even fucking got over covid. People voted for this and now weā€™re so doomed. I wanted to be able to live and have time. But weā€™re so doomed public health wise it feels unreal.

25 Comments
2025/01/31
13:12 UTC

7

Sun Feb 2nd 1PM to 2PM EST - PLANET TITANIC HUMAN EXTINCTION CAFƉ - talk about the causes and consequences of societal collapse and human extinction - ZOOM ID 891 6493 5831 - no password - free

1 Comment
2025/01/31
12:03 UTC

490

My future has been stolen from me.

Trump effectively killed the public health profession in this country. I was never able to find a job (the standard is it taking about a year to get hired into the field, and I graduated in spring.) I'll never become an epidemiologist now. And because I have a Masters degree, I'm now "overqualified" for most other jobs. I am in a worse position, prospects-wise, than if i didn't go to grad school at all. Plus all that debt.

My rights are going to be gone by the end of this year; as a nonbinary person, as an AFAB queer person. All of it.

Our planet is doomed. This was our last chance to sort of mitigate SOME of the worst effects of global warming. Trump is going to push us straight off that cliff, drill baby drill, till the planet itself collapses.

I'm never going to get to get married, start a family (even if we assumed marriage and adoption rights stayed intact, I'll never be able to afford a child now) or know literally any of the joys my parents did. But hey, I guess at least I have the luxury of avocado toast, the cause of all our generation's problems, right?

At this point i just want it to be over. I'm falling to my death. We all are. We know we are. I want to skip the rest of the fall right to the briefly-painful crash before it's all over with.

67 Comments
2025/01/31
08:32 UTC

7

Overworking

Does anyone find themselves overworking to access a sense of control or safety? For those that are overworking is it helping with collapse prep?

Also I understand sense of safety is an illusion and Iā€™m looking to understand this on an emotional level, not just cognitively. Anyone know how to move from the head to the heart with this concept?

2 Comments
2025/01/31
06:12 UTC

35

Species going extinct on our watch

This has already happened to multiple animals (which have survived millions of years until now) and I just went down a rabbit role of reading about the Vaquita (small porpoise) - and the primary solution to save them is to ban gillnet fishing. Also one of the organizations trying to help states: ā€œMexico, the US and China must work together. To save the vaquita, we need international co-operation between countries, law enforcement and NGOsā€ - it feels so sad to say it, but like there is no chance of that happening.

Any advice on having any hope around helping these animals (and others) aside from quitting my job and joining Sea Shepherd? Itā€™s all just too sad.

6 Comments
2025/01/31
05:35 UTC

321

Iā€™m losing my mind.

Iā€™m just losing my mind. The President literally just tried to destroy the country and very likely the world by putting an absolute hold on all federal funding (YES ALL OF IT) for 90 days via executive order. If that had gone through, the US would cease to have a funded government overnight for three months causing global catastrophic collapse. And he is STILL actively trying to do it.

Is anyone going to say or do anything?!? Literally we are going to put our heads in the sand until we all fucking die. I canā€™t take this anymore.

Edit: a word

58 Comments
2025/01/31
05:24 UTC

18

People who are parents, or close to young people (whether kids, teens and even young adults); how do you support, or at best, communicate with them?

I know that questions like these are asked over and over, especially in communities such as this one. But it is a topic that I have been genuinely concerned with. It's 2025 and it's practically obvious that shit has hit the fan more exponentially. Everyone feels the effects, but one of the thoughts that haunts anyone who is collapse-conscious, is how younger generations are doing.

As the title is asking, this isn't just for parents (I know asks like these usually get the whole "well, this is why I didn't/don't have kids anyway"), this is meant to be a broad discussion of anyone who has, works or knows young people in their life, whether or not they are truly collapse-conscious. So all the childless family members who might be uncles/aunts, mentors/teachers, etc.

This is coming from a disgruntled 21 year old (who's gonna be 22 this year), having unconscious family/friends who get curious about what I want to do for the future, and genuinely think that business as usual is going to go on forever, or at least for an extended period of time. All my ambitions for building a career have circled down the drain these past 2 years, and now I struggle with even focusing on university assignments and getting them done.

There's a lot more I could write, but I think I'll leave it at that. Sending support, regardless of age, to those who have to struggle with these thoughts constantly.

18 Comments
2025/01/30
17:26 UTC

53

I Feel Heartbroken

I think many of us are. But something that has really shattered me is my mom. Not in the way you think either. My parents and I have a very good relationship. They have always supported me and are willing to help. They've done so much for me and I'm so grateful for them. My mom is my best friend (I know, pretty fucking lame). But I've been becoming more and more just outwardly depressed, and my mom tries so hard to cheer me up. It makes me feel worse, not because she wants me to feel better, just like you know when you're in such a low spot and someone tries to cheer you up and it feels worse somehow? Like there's things they just don't understand and you do want to feel better, but you just... can't? I do want to feel happy and smile, but with everything going on?

I feel like there's no point in doing much, everything is being taken away. She offers to do stuff and I want to, but like the way things are now? Especially in the states? I need to take the advice I've gotten from here, but I'm just so angry and mostly just sad and unsure of what to do because idk what is going to be possible to do, especially as a woman right now things are scary as hell. I feel like I've lost myself completely. I'm sorry, this is similar to my last post. I don't feel like me anymore and it sucks. And I hate seeing my mom be sad because I'm sad. I just want to curl into a ball and sob. The walls feel like they're just caving in and it's just overwhelming. I want my life back, I want me back. And I know I am far from the only one. I'm sending you all hugs and love, I know I could definitely use hugs myself. Stay safe everyone ā¤

Edit: just clarifying something I typed so it made more sense

9 Comments
2025/01/30
17:12 UTC

15

Where do you fit in?

I think a lot of people fall into this category: Keeping the status quo is my biggest concern. A lot more people fall into the category of not having brains enough to care about things that don't happen right in front of them. Neither of these groups can be swayed. I think that's why there is mainly inaction and conjured problems in the day to day news and how we ended up here. Where do you fit in?

7 Comments
2025/01/30
13:07 UTC

358

I just need to vent/need a virtual hug. I work for a refugee resettlement agency in a red city in a red state in the Deep South.

Well, the first week of this administration has been the longest year of my life. Will probably delete later so not as have any digital trace for when the new administration decides to target agencies like ours.

But yea. Last Friday they called for a ā€œstop all workā€ call regarding any Refugee Resettlement and Placement. They had already shut down any new admittances so any clients whose families were already in the pipeline and already vetted to come are now stuck. But the stop all work order means that all funds to help clients who had arrived within the last 90 days is now gone.

To give you an idea of the refugee resettlement program, which dates back to WWII days, the US agrees to a certain preset quantity of refugees to admit every year. To qualify as a refugee you have to go through a pretty extreme vetting process, meaning that you have both no criminal record and have significant proof of extreme threat of violence if you were to stay in your home country. The US literally invited these refugees here and promised them 3 months of funding which covered basic needs like housing, food, clothing, employment and health and education services. Now, while that might sound like a lot of money (itā€™s $3,300 per refugee), itā€™s truly a drop in the bucket given that a 2019 study by the Department of Health and Human Services showed that refugees contributed to a 123 billion net gain compared to the overall federal spending.

In the month of December, the previous administration admitted more refugees than had ever been admitted within the last 25 years, fully expecting that the program would be shut down under Trump. But what they didnā€™t expect was that the new administration would put a freeze on all funding previously awarded by Congress to this program. So, now we have more people than weā€™ve ever had and while the US government can just go back on its contract, we, as a resettlement agency, still have to make good on paying their rents for 3 months with no funding.

Thatā€™s not to mention the constant threat of the continued Refugee Social Services funds being pulled. The federal grant freeze temporarily suspended them yesterday, today that freeze has been rescinded, but there is wording under an executive order than fully suggests they are looking to pull all funding for the program and our national parent organization has told us to expect that all funding will be cut. And itā€™s up to us to break that horrifying news to all of our clients. Clients who came here with sometimes nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Thatā€™s not to mention all our clients who Re at risk of their legal status suddenly being overturned if they go through with the Expedited Reversal for Asylum and Parolee seekers for Cubans, Haitians, Venezuelans, and Nicaraguans. So, imagine one day youā€™re here under legal pretenses and then the next day youā€™re not and suddenly your I-94 document is null and void.

Iā€™m having to get a power of attorney for children for the (again legally here) immigrants who have had children in the US to sign and notarize in case they get deported and their children stay here. I really canā€™t describe to you the pain of having to tell families there is a good chance they will all get separated.

And it doesnā€™t matter that theyā€™re here legally. If ICE arrives at their work and someone at their work is not here legally, they can use that as an excuse to detain everyone there. Even if we can eventually get them out, itā€™s still a traumatic process for people who were invited into our country with the promise of safety.

Not to mention that Iā€™ve basically lost my job because of the funding cut. I donā€™t even care about that. But weā€™ve had to stop all services for fear of having clients gathered in one area where it would be too easy for ICE to come, again, even though everyone is legal and we have all their documents proving it, but it still doesnā€™t seem to matter as the definition of that is changing constantly. Weā€™ve had to go incognito mode and hide our location and all signage and met with lawyers today for when ICE and local deputized police forces inevitably try to go after us for doing work in a federal program that has been around since the 1940s.

I will not lie. I am terrified, but I will not stop working to help innocent people, job or no, but just holy shit. I feel so bad that all these refugees came here thinking they were escaping persecution only to be met with the devil at their doorstep. I work mostly with the kids and have developed such a relationship with them and am forever in awe of their fortitude and determination and my heart is seriously just breaking every single day.

I just needed a space to vent. Collapse related because this is what fascism looks like. They arenā€™t just going after the ā€œcriminals,ā€ they donā€™t care if people are here ā€œlegallyā€ or notā€¦ and of course we in this sub knew this, but it really is just further proof they hate ALL immigrants who arenā€™t the rich, white ones. Thanks for listening.

16 Comments
2025/01/30
05:12 UTC

85

Should I cash out my retirement fund?

Is it crazy for me as an American to cash out my 401k to buy land or food or just to have the cash? It's not a large amount because I suck at finances but it's enough to do SOMETHING with.

40 Comments
2025/01/30
04:52 UTC

64

Do you have little moments where you are at peace?

At peace with life, the universe, collapse, and everything else.

I'm asking because I very often see posts made by highly depressed or anxious people. I have been both. But now I'm just older (M33) and much more at peace, and so the first thing I want to say to you is to hang on, that it shall pass. That despite everything that could happen, our brains are made in such a way that peace exists. Without drugs, without coping ; genuine serenity.

##Anyway, I guess I wanted everyone to share their peaceful moments

As during most evenings, I'm working alone (I work from home). It is raining outside, and the city center is relatively quiet, people are busy drinking in bars, visiting each others, watching TV at home. I started a playlist of 12 hours of piano melodies. Erik Satie, Chopin, and more contemporary works... Everyday I inform myself on r/collapse and such, I know the deal, and yet I'm perfectly at peace alone right now. I wouldn't mind if the world ended tonight. Because I know I did what I could, have very few regrets, met beautiful people, saw nature... If the world ended tonight all my patient work would be gone forever. But it's okay. Because it was my passion, it was a pleasure to try it, and I felt happy. It's like a big mandala. And so is our brief existence, with or without collapse. A brief kaleidoscope of sensory inputs between two eternities of nothingness. Which is perfectly fine.

I hope you're all doing okay, and can find such moments of simple peace in your existence.

(Being French I also believe the best thing to do against Trump, Putin, and the billionaires, is to guillotine the traitors to mankind. Of course. But there's a moment for everything, and sometimes the best antidote against them is to simply be at peace. In order to welcome new ideas, find new Ć©nergies, but now in the moment simply exist. At peace. Thank you for reading this far)

33 Comments
2025/01/29
21:38 UTC

216

I work at a Fortune 500 healthcare company and want to express to leadership that we as a company should speak out against the atrocities that the Trump admin is committing

I don't even know where to start. On this sub, we're all aware of the scary things that are happening right now, but I wasn't prepared for how fast it was going to happen. We're less than two weeks into the presidency and off the top of my head we have seen...

* Tarnished relations with our allies (Can't wait for the repercussions of this. Is the USD going to go down? Is a US passport going to be useless? Obviously the cost of goods is going to just keep going up)

* Illegally ended government programs, like grants and healthcare support (Medicaid has lost federal support, is Medicare next?)

* Mass deportation

* Mass layoff of Inspectors General

There's so much more than this, but these things have been at the top of my mind. From an industry perspective, the disruption of Medicaid and the potential for that to happen with Medicare are the biggest concerns. I assume the federal grant pause may also significantly impact the healthcare industry, but I'm not as privy to that piece. Additionally, I assume we will again have supply shortages once everyone stops trading with us because of everything going on.

I want to reach out to leadership at my company and express my concerns for the future of employees, the company, and of the USA. I want to ask them to speak out against the authoritarian regime that has taken hold of the US. I don't know what else to do, I feel powerless right now and this is the only thing I can think of that has any chance of getting some traction. I really doubt the company will do anything, but the least I can do is try. I am concerned that doing something like this would put a target on my back, and with the current job market that definitely scares me. Love to hear what everyone here thinks about this - is it worthwhile or is it just going to get me fired and do nothing else?

25 Comments
2025/01/29
14:23 UTC

23

Help

First off im not sure if this is the right subreddit but i don't know what to do. I'm 15 and a girl. I live in America with a 18 year old brother and both my parents.

My dad works for the government and Trump plans on cutting down on those workers. My dad makes 144k and my mom makes 96k (ish). We've never not had job security .

I feel useless. I'm a sick mental ill child who can't live without meds. I can't work, I can't drive, I cant protest. I do what I can with school but I can hardly focus right now. If my dad lost his job we'd lose our house, and that scares me.

What do I do?..

15 Comments
2025/01/29
05:58 UTC

12

How does anyone afford grad school?

So I went to college on the cheap. I finished my associates degree with free instate tuition then finished my bachelor's for $12k cash. No loans. That paid for four semesters and a couple summer minimesters.


When I was taking the LSAT I knew I would need a loan but didn't look into cost til after the test. For the law schools I was looking at it was $26k-44k per year then for 3yrs. I noped out at the amount of loans I would need for the education. How do you make this work? Is it common for people to get grad school loans then end up in a professional class job, only to he well paid wage slaves having to pay back the loans? The system is evil.


Edit: it's not inconceivable that those loans wouldn't work but at the time I was getting myself into a painkiller addiction and suspended any hopes of going to grad school right outta college. I still managed to use my degree for a couple jobs then did a bunch of service work as well.

14 Comments
2025/01/29
04:39 UTC

74

How To Function When Things Are Overwhelming?

I'm trying so hard to keep up with everything and it's overwhelming. I am trying. But my problem is that I become obsessive over it all and that leads me to some unhealthy habits. I isolate myself, I scroll endlessly on here. I let my grief and sadness paralyze me and I obsess over every nightmare scenario.

I can't seem to break this cycle. I know things are bad, but this mindset isn't helping. I want to engage with life. I feel like I have to take on the world. But I know nobody can do that. I've been a big believer in balancing prepping with doing things we enjoy/taking care of ourselves. But because these habits I get into, I end up not doing anything. I feel like I'm losing myself, and I don't want that. I want to find all the kindness and love and joy that still exists. I think that's important. I know that love is a radical act. But right now I'm scared, I'm sad, I'm overwhelmed. I'm lonely. I want friends, I want to help others. I don't want to loose myself, who I am. And I hope this doesn't sound stupid, but I hope there can still be some happy moments here and there. Sorry if this is rambly. I just need help, I'm just not sure what to do with myself or what direction to go in.

8 Comments
2025/01/29
03:54 UTC

9

Signal groups?

Looking to join groups providing uncensored news.

0 Comments
2025/01/29
00:49 UTC

236

I work in advocacy for civil/human rights in a red state and feel like we are doomed.

I'm a professional community/political organizer. I run a nonprofit in a conservative state in the US, and as such, we are underfunded and understaffed. With the Trump administration going full fascist mode and our state legislature doing the same, my life has become hell. There is literally too much work to do, I cannot advocate and organize enough in response to what is happening. I work to get communities to organize but it's feeling pointless and too little too late. I was recently at a conference, prior to inauguration day, with others who work in my field and I left there with the understanding that nobody is ready for what we are now dealing with.

It has been entirely dissolutioning that positive change is possible as I have watched people who work as their day jobs fighting for rights simply not being ready or not following through. I got into this line of work because it gave me hope that I can make change but I've been meet with the stark reality that these efforts are too little too late.

I literally do not have the staff and organizational capacity to respond to everything that is happening. I feel like I need to sacrifice my own mental and physical health in order to put up statements of resistance that is feeling more and more pointless. It's troubling that I've had thoughts of 'what's the point of spending an hour writing in opposition to something bad when I don't have enough time in the day to maintain the organization.'

Blue and purple states have more funding sources for nonprofits than rural red states - the places where funding is needed the most. It's horrifying to me that it feels like our people are being left behind and forgotten by the few forces of good left in this world. I know that I am fortunate and priviliged to be in a position where I can try to fight against this as my day job, but it's only lead me to seeing more of the truth of our situation that we are fucking doomed.

/rant over

14 Comments
2025/01/28
23:06 UTC

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