Learned helplessness is powerful and real.

In one of my psychology classes, we talked about the phenomenon of learned helplessness whereby organisms in bad situations start out optimistic about their ability to escape and then eventually accept that there's no point in trying anymore. Then, if they do wind up in a situation where there is a means of escape, they don't take advantage of it because they don't believe there's a point in trying.

There was a study whereby researchers delivered shocks to two different groups of dogs. One group was in an apparatus that they could escape, while the other group had no way to escape the box or cage (I forget which it was). At first, the dogs who couldn't escape tried to find a way to escape, but eventually they gave up and just sat there while they got shocked. Then, when they transferred those dogs to an apparatus that did have a means of escape, they still made no efforts to escape because their mental states had become so altered that they were no longer capable of seeing a way out even if it were right in front of them.

I feel like this is what happened with me over the course of many years. When things started to go downhill, I was very optimistic that circumstances were only temporary. I figured I'll graduate, get a job, have a career, get away from my abusive family situation, meet someone to start a relationship with, find a good doctor to pinpoint the source of my mystery neurological issues, etc. and it would all eventually work out. Then many years went by, and every effort to better my life led to a brick wall. I graduated and applied to hundreds of jobs but heard back on maybe two or three, which I didn't get. I enrolled back in school to take pre-med classes because I figured I would go to med school and secure a future career for myself. But since I couldn't find a job, I ran out of savings and had to move back in with my abusive sister and stop taking classes. I found a freelance writing job that nets me some money but not enough to afford an apartment here. I researched and discovered that rent is much cheaper in some midwestern states, so I considered moving to one of those and then work on saving up money with freelancing and continuing to job search there away from my family. Except even though I have enough money to afford the cheaper rent, I can't get approved at any of those apartment complexes because they all have rules about how you have to provide proof that you make like 4x the annual rent and have had a stable income for a while. I also went to numerous doctors who all told me something to the effect of, "Eh, you're young. There's no reason to do any further testing to find out why you have all of these symptoms," so I wasted a bunch of money I would otherwise have and got nowhere at all with it. I developed really bad chest pain at one point and had an abnormal EKG, but then I wasn't able to afford further testing to see if something is wrong with my heart, so I'm just stuck hoping I don't randomly have a heart attack or whatever one day. While I was taking the pre-med classes, I went to my school's counseling center to seek help for my worsening depression and was shoved out the door because they only help full-time students. I didn't have any money for an outside therapist, and there are no free alternatives here, so I just accepted that people like me deserve to be depressed since we're not smart enough to find the funds to pay for help.

Time after time, I just hit a brick wall until eventually I think I just accepted that there is no winning in this life for me. It seems like every aspect of society is stacked against me. Logically, I know that there is probably still a chance of having a better life someday, but I no longer really believe it. I'm not sure I could even be happy if I did get to a "better" place in life because I think I've lost my ability to enjoy anything. I feel completely defeated, hopeless, and valueless, and I think the phenomenon of learned helplessness has a lot to do with it.

Anyone else think learned helplessness has anything to do with how they wound up in their current mental state?

wrong apartment complexes?
seems you're thinking inside of some box that ain't right. you sound intelligent and understand your condition.
you're not a dog - & hopefully have better insight.
don't limit yourself to certain conditions. there are other conditions you may have never considered which might just be fine for you.

The point is there are certain places our minds just naturally go in response to certain types of stimuli. There are individual differences in how long it takes to get there or what types of stimuli trigger it, but it's a physiological process. Telling oneself, "I'm not a dog. I don't have to feel this way," won't magically fix anything. Studies on PTSD have been done using animals as well, yet I don't think too many people would tell war veterans "You're not a lab rat. Just stop feeling so hyper-alert all of the time."

I can relate to the feeling of learned helplessness. I've been disappointed and failed so many times that the feeling sometimes overpowers my logical thoughts. It's a terrible feeling because it starts replacing your hope ever so slowly.

Even so, your courage and determination are admirable though. I hope you find the strength to keep fighting for a better life (and finally succeed.)

Yes, this is how it happened for me. Very slowly. I could feel the hope getting smaller and smaller and the hopelessness and depression getting bigger and bigger. I'm not completely self unaware; I could feel it happening and tried to stop it, but no one would help when I asked. I think my body and mind just gave up after a while because it was too stressful and demonstratively futile to keep holding on.

Thank you. I guess we'll see.

I think the basis of your theory is correct. However I do believe as humans we have enough free will and intelligence to intervene and change that process. I have been at that brick wall many times and lost all hope and have given up trying. Yet I sit here today still trying. 37 years of depression experience and my life going down hill........yet I am still trying.

Depression for me has been so intense for me at times and still is even though i am on meds for it and have several other diagnosis. I did reach the giving up place years ago, got on meds and still feel depressed every day but the meds are the only thing that has made a difference along with therapy. For me it is just something i have to deal with day by day. Moment by moment.

I learned to rely on myself. I am not helpless.

As AvLady says often it is in part accepting the nature of our disease and figuring out how to live with it without giving up trying. We have talked on here about radical acceptance and total surrender. They can be very powerful concepts paradoxically. There are lots of paradox in life and this is one. By admitting powerlessness I gain much power. Hard to explain but true.

Hi,
I think that it may be true particularly when it happens in childhood, for example in cases of direct abuse or vicarious learning ( a child having seen his mom being abused). I know this is a theory ( I mean learned helplessness) and as such it has being reformed and also criticized. To me, attributions theories are better. I identify myself with learning from my mom to be helpless ( not that my mom was abused as far as I know, but that she was always hoping for the worst and verbalized it all the time due to high anxiety and other traits she had).
In adults, I think it is different, as an adult basic learnings are already done. Normally people have the tools to face a series of negative events, unless these are extraordinary ( such as in situation of torture, war, etc) or that the adult person is suffering from a mental disability now (for example being under depression). The one million question is: is the person feeling helpless because of depression or it is helplessness as a stable inner perception causing depression long term?
Another thing that comes to my mind is that human learning is not equal to animal learning. In my country we are more focused on Non American psychology but I believe that many American theorists recognize the difference between the two.
The last thing you may want to consider is resilience as a complement to learned helplessness theories.
Personally, I think you have had enough negative events to feel helplessness right now but that does not mean your ability to be more hopeful is permanently impaired.
A hug

I can relate to learned helplessness. Right now I feel like I am hitting my head against the wall again and can't stop myself from repeating behavior. Kind of like Ground Hog Day. Though I know the end result.
I envy
Thanks for sharing. I applaud your writing skills. You are very talented. I envy you. Writing and anxiety -I am in a struggle. I wish you the best.

Four times rent, sounds absurd. I've looked at some places, 2.5 rent was the norm. Even where I am now, income needed to be, and is more than 2.5times rent.

Study on the dogs and organisms sounds interesting, I personally wouldn't choose to limit myself to them.

Can you try the search again, for relocation?

To clarify, the theory of learned helplessness does not imply that there is no escaping it once it's set it. It's been a while since I took that class, but there are behavioral techniques to counteract it...you have to recognize it for what it is in order to know what to do about it, though. I think the techniques are along the lines of slowly exposing yourself to situations where you can "win" or "escape" so your brain begins to see that you aren't helpless.

Part of the problem with the apartment search, I'm sure, is that I don't really know how to look except to look at complexes. I know independent landlords likely have less strict requirements, but I don't really know how to find them and ensure they're not murderers or something.

By organisms, I just meant living entities. Humans are organisms. Dogs are organisms. etc.

Try this site
A national directory of houses for rent, condominiums, apartments & more.

Also Craigslist is what many small landlords use. You call. Meet in a neutral location like starbucks with people around. Go take a look at the place and get a feel for things. I have bought a lot of stuff off of Craigslist and I have used it to rent my place out. I have never had a negative experience.

Dogs are very much like humans but we do have a much larger capacity to reinterpet things and unlearn old behavior, learn new behavior and so on. It takes really hard work and a lot of time depending on your past.

I think i most certainly suffer from learned helplessness, and all I can say is it really sucks...yet I do make attempts to sort of unlearn it.