What is vystopia?

Coping with the distress of living in a non-vegan world

Upon learning about veganism, Mihir was excited to align his values with his actions. Being a lifelong animal advocate and having grown up with two dogs, he hoped his friends and family would agree with his vegan principals. 

However, just a few weeks into his transition to veganism, Mihir realised that his friends and family did not want to see his point of view, despite the fact that they too shared his affection for other animals. He tried hard to get them to care but his efforts failed. The actions of his friends and family, who he felt valued taste and convenience over compassion, were reminders of the suffering endured by other animals.  

Mihir had never before experienced this kind of distress as a result of his compassion for animals. His instinct was to neglect his own suffering by dismissing it as “nothing compared to what animals suffer.” He then came across the term “compassion fatigue” at an activist training course, which came somewhat close to describing what he was feeling.  

But compassion fatigue is not a completely precise term to describe many vegans’ experiences. “Fatigue can come and go away after one takes some time off. But for vegans, there is no time off per se from the awareness of the mass scale exploitation of animals,” says vegan psychologist, Clare Mann. 

Coining ‘vystopia’ 

Psychologist Clare Mann propounded the term vystopia which she defines as “an existential crisis experienced by vegans, arising out of an awareness of the trance-like collusion with a dystopian world.” Clare says that the distress had to be differentiated from anxiety and depression alone. Having a word for the unique pain that vegans experience makes a statement to the world about the trauma that sprouts from its collusion in the horrors that non-human animals go through.  

Clare further elaborates that it is a form of distress not experienced by other present-day activists fighting for causes such as women’s rights and children’s rights. This is because society at large recognises the injustices being tackled as worthy causes. 

Some symptoms of vystopia are anxiety, depression, PTSD, self-admonishment, persistent nightmares from watching graphic videos, feelings of hatred towards the human race (misanthropy), not being able to see the good in people, losing interest in previously enjoyable activities, feeling alienated or disconnected from friends and family and feelings of guilt. When the mentioned symptoms become an obstacle in day-to-day functioning, it is important to seek professional help.  

Clare is optimistic about the concept of vystopia catching on with psychologists across the globe. She says, “Although we do have a dearth of vegan psychologists, psychologists are being trained to help clients struggling with vystopia.” Recently, Clare was a guest speaker at a training programme themed around vystopia which took place in Brazil, which was attended by over 50 psychologists, counsellors and therapists. 

Finding a cure 

When asked about a cure for vystopia, Clare says “The anguish of knowing what happens to animals behind closed doors does not go away, but can be redirected into positive action for change. I have a friend who has been vegan for 45 years. Redirecting his energy to advocate for a vegan world has helped him in not only managing his vystopia, but also given him a sense of fulfilment in the company of fellow vegans who also take action to create a vegan world.” 

Clare believes that the following can help someone struggling to relate to the non-vegans in their life: 

#1 Realise that you too were once non-vegan 

Unless you were lucky enough to be raised vegan, remembering this can help us to understand that people have the potential to be good and kind, and to change their actions to becoming more compassionate. 

#2 Understand that there are many layers to transitioning to veganism 

At a march, Clare reports having interacted with a woman who was appalled at what is happening to animals behind closed doors. “I advocated veganism as a solution to the problem, but the woman became very distressed and resistant to the idea,” Clare says. “I enquired about her feelings on the idea and she cited how being married into an Italian family as a non-Italian already gets her so much of the family’s resentment for not being able to cook authentic Italian food. She felt that if she were to go vegan or try to convince them to do the same, it would make things much more difficult.” 

#3 Develop effective communication strategies that can result into a “chink of consciousness” for the non-vegan 

Clare says, “I find it very effective to ask questions whenever someone is asking me about veganism. For instance, the next time someone asks why you are vegan, you can reply by asking them what they believe veganism is. Based on their answer you will be able to respond in a way that helps connect to them.  For example, if they were to answer ‘veganism is an extreme form of vegetarianism’, it helps you understand that vegetarianism is reasonable to them and then you can mould your response to talk about the cons of consuming dairy.”  

#4 Breaking the trance for others  

Clare says, “I was once walking with my rescue dogs and a woman walking across with a McDonald’s burger approached and started petting the dogs while claiming she loves animals. I smilingly said, “It’s always nice to meet vegans,” to which she replied, “Oh, I’m not vegan” and then I asked “Oh, how does that work?” 

Ishaan’s story

Ishaan is an animal rights activist in India, where cows are considered holy yet exploited by the dairy industry. Ishaan started advocating for animal rights within his friend circle before expanding to social media, and has now had his efforts covered by national media. 

When Ishaan first started advocating for animals, he received dismissal and had to change his strategies. “It certainly was a cause of anguish and I even lost a few friends on the way. Eventually, some became receptive and cared enough to go vegan.” he says. 

Yet Ishaan continues to hold a positive view of humanity, and has been able to mentally separate actions from individuals. “I acknowledge that there are many layers to the transition to veganism,” he says. “For instance, someone might be enthusiastic about going vegan but still under the care of their guardians, and not in control of their diet.  

On being asked if activism ever became a source of burn out for him, Ishaan says, “As an activist, I have to be quite active on social media and I often come across hateful comments. It used to be very overwhelming dealing with them but now I have realised that the fulfilment I get from activism is far greater than a few negative voices.” 

For Clare’s resources, including her book on vystopia, a 30-day course and information on finding suitable counselling, visit veganpsychologist.com.  

By Heena Malhotra 

This article was first published in our membership magazine The Vegan 2022 Issue 3.

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