What's worse to feel powerless, (although intellectually I know only I hold the power to change what I can) or to feel helpless and know you have no where to hide or go and this feeling overwhelms you to the point that it makes you doubt everything you ever thought about and all of your actions?

For me feelings of being helpless become so intense that it makes me numb inside and I just give up totally. So then I become powerless to see or do anything different that will make my circumstances better.