Hopelessness: Definition, Examples, & TheoryBy Angela Saulsbery, M.A.
Reviewed by Tchiki Davis, M.A., Ph.D. Discover what hopelessness means, its causes, and how it’s related to depression. Also, how to get help for hopelessness.
If so, you’re not alone–as Sidney Poitier said, “There is not racial or ethnic domination of hopelessness. It’s everywhere.” Anyone can experience hopelessness. Hopelessness, along with its siblings helplessness and worthlessness, can prevent us from engaging with the most meaningful parts of our lives. These mental states can reinforce themselves, leaving us trapped in a vicious cycle: If you can’t imagine how your life could change for the better, you’re less likely to try to change it and it’s more likely to stay the same. You might then take this sameness as further evidence that there’s no hope. I’m proof that it is possible to break out of this cycle, however, and I hope that this article leaves you with an understanding of hopelessness that helps you to loosen its hold over your life (or gives you tools to defend against it in the future).
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