I’ve become increasingly intrigued by the topic of hope because, if anything is going to help me climb out of the Black Hole of depression, it’s a sense of hope. In their book, “Hope in the Age of Anxiety,” psychology professors Anthony Scioli and Henry Biller discuss hope from a variety of different perspectives, combining psychology with philosophy, biology, anthropology as well as the literary classics.
I went straight to chapter thirteen, of course, and read “Overcoming Hopelessness: Escape from Darkness.” The authors argue that there are nine forms of hopelessness, each related to the disruption of one or more of the basic needs that comprise hope; attachment, mastery, or survival. The authors present three “pure forms” of hopelessness resulting from breakdowns in one of these three needs or “motive systems” (alienation, powerlessness, doom). There are also six “blended” forms of hopelessness which results when two needs are challenged. We can overcome hopelessness by first recognizing which of these nine types we are confronting. For each form of hopelessness, they present a mind-body-spirit treatment cocktail, involving a restructuring of thoughts, accessing the right kind of hope-sustaining relationship, and specific spiritual practices. Armed with these prescriptions we can summon the light back into our lives.
Here are the nine types of hopelessness and just some of the strategies recommended by Scioli and Biller. For the whole treatment package, consider getting your own copy of “Hope in the Age of Anxiety.”
1. Alienation (Attachment)
Alienated individuals believe that they are somehow different. Moreover, they feel as if they have been cut loose, no longer deemed worthy of love, care, or support. In turn, the alienated tend to close themselves off, fearing further pain and rejection.
2. Forsakenness (Attachment and Survival)
The word “forsaken” refers to an experience of total abandonment that leaves individuals feeling alone in their time of greatest need. Recall Job in the Old Testament, crumpled over and covered with sores, pleading with a seemingly indifferent God.
3. Uninspired (Attachment and Mastery)
Feeling uninspired can be especially difficult for members of underprivileged minorities, for whom opportunities for growth and positive role models within the group may be either lacking or undervalued.
4. Powerlessness (Mastery)
Individuals of every age need to believe that they can author the story of their life. When that need is thwarted, when one feels incapable of navigating one’s way toward desired goals, a feeling of powerlessness can set in.
5. Oppression (Mastery and Attachment)
Oppression involves the subjugation of a person or group…. The word “oppressed” comes from Latin, to “press down,” and its synonym, “down-trodden,” suggests a sense of being “crushed under” or “flattened.”
6. Limitedness (Mastery and Survival)
When the struggle for survival is combined with a sense of failed mastery, individuals feel limited. They experience themselves as deficient, lacking in the right stuff to make it in the world. This form of hopelessness is all too common among the poor as well as those struggling with severe physical handicaps or crippling learning disabilities.
7. Doom (Survival)
Individuals weighed down by this form of despair presume that their life is over, that their death is imminent. The ones most vulnerable to sinking into this particular circle of hell are those diagnosed with a serious, life-threatening illness as well as those who see themselves worn out by age or infirmity. Such individuals feel doomed, trapped in a fog of irreversible decline.
8. Captivity (Survival and Attachment)
Two forms of hopelessness can result from captivity. The first consists of physical or emotional captivity enforced by an individual or a group. Prisoners fall into this category as well as those help captive in a controlling, abusive relationship. We refer to this as “other-imprisonment.”…An equally insidious form of entrapment is “self-imprisonment. This occurs when individuals cannot leave a bad relationship because their sense of self will not allow it.
9. Helplessness (Survival and Mastery)
Helpless individuals no longer believe that they can live safely in the world. They feel exposed and vulnerable, like a cat after being declawed or a bird grounded by a broken wing. Trauma or repeated exposure to uncontrolled stressors can produce an ingrained sense of helplessness. In the words of one trauma survivor, “I was terrified to go anywhere on my own … I felt so defenseless and afraid that I just stopped doing anything.”
Overcoming Alienation and its offshoots (Alienation, Forsakenness, Uninspired)
[Pure Alienation] This form of hopelessness may be fueled by cognitive distortions such as mind reading, overgeneralization, or all-or-nothing thinking. … Many who feel alienated assume (wrongly) that absolutely no one is, or ever will be, in their corner. The antidote for mind reading is to examine the emotional evidence. This requires courage in the form of trust and openness to survey how others actually experience you.
If you feel forsaken, it is important to get outside of your head to see if your inner reality is an accurate reflection of the outside world. Most people who feel forsaken are overgeneralizing from a relatively small sample of experiences. With more extensive sampling, it is highly likely that they will encounter more hope-promoting responses from others. The antidote to all-or-nothing thinking is thinking in shades of gray–opening oneself up to the continuum of possibilities for one’s life.
Overcoming Doom and its offshoots (Doom, Helplessness, Captivity)
Those who feel doomed as a result of a medical or psychiatric diagnosis may “jump to conclusions.” The best antidote for jumping to conclusions is “examining the evidence.” If you are diagnosed with a serious illness, do your homework and get the facts. For example, Harvard anthropologist Stephen Jay Gould was diagnosed with a rare abdominal cancer at the age of 40. When told that the median survival time for someone with this disease was only 8 months, he did some research. In his essay, “The Median Isn’t the Message,” Gould shared how his knowledge of statistics helped him to “examine the evidence.” He was able to tell himself, “Fine, half the people will live longer. Now what are my chances of being in that half?” After factoring in his age, his relatively healthy lifestyle, the early stage of diagnosis, and the quality of healthcare available, Gould arrived at a far more hopeful prognosis. In fact, he lived another 20 years before succumbing to an unrelated illness.
Overcoming Powerlessness and its Offshoots (Powerlessness, Oppression, Limitedness)
Three cognitive distortions frequently underlie feelings of powerlessness: discounting the positive, personalization, and labeling. When individuals cannot appreciate their talents and gifts, they are prone to discount any evidence of personal success or effectiveness. Examining the evidence is a good strategy for dealing with discounting the positive. One way to do this is to make a list of successes, particularly in the general domain you are discounting. For example, if you are prone to discounting a good grade on an exam, write down any past successes of an intellectual nature. If you tend to discount a work or social achievement, reflect on past occupational or group-related achievements.
It is common for those who are oppressed to engage in personalization and self-blame. A strategy for counteracting self-blame is reattribution. This involves considering all the likely causes of negative emotions.
When individuals feel limited because of a perceived physical or intellectual disability, they may fall prey to labeling. To attack harmful labels, “define your terms.” For example, if you feel or are labeled “stupid,” reflect on the actual definition of the term. Are you always “making bad decisions”? Are you always “careless” and “unable to learn”? Unless this description, taken directly from the “American Heritage Dictionary,” applies to you, then you are not “stupid.”
Reprinted from Hope in the Age of Anxiety: A Guide to Understanding and Strengthening Our Most Important Virtue by Anthony Scioli and Henry B. Biller (Oxford University Press). © 2009 by Oxford University Press.
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21 Comments to
“9 Types of Hopelessness and How to Overcome Them”
Therese J. Borchard, I feel your pain, as I was in a major depression for 11-13 years, but I cured myself in three months with Positive Psychology when Analytic, Behaviorism, Cognitive-Behaviorism, and Humanistic did little to help. I will give you my poem on Happiness to help you. Dr. Doug Caldwell (who I am now his disciple) said that he had tried everything that someone had touted as helping or curing anxiety and/or stress. I went into his group therapy knowing depression was my diagnoses, so I heard depression when he said anxiety or stress. He took a typical male stance and talked about specific instances. He explained to a women who had a very negative attitude toward someone she had to be around (not saying who or what that person was). He then asked her how she wanted to think about that person. He then helped her to turn that into a short, positive, in the present reaffirmation. I, instead as a woman (gatherer), went global. I tried for a week but could not come up with anything that felt right for me. Then on the day I was supposed to return to group, I came up with an epiphany. I said to myself, “What is the opposite of depression?” I suddenly realized, “HAPPY!” I then changed that into my first short, positive, in the present reaffirmation or mantra (as I learned in World Religions/Wisdom Traditions taught by Professor Kevin Bortolin at Ventura College), “I am happy.” I also realized that I needed to attack my low self-esteem as when I was in-patient in Vista Del Mar, I realized that regardless of diagnoses, everyone suffered from low self-esteem. The Therapist told me not to say anything and I later realized why. I looked into myself and realized who I was and would always be irrespective of my major depression. Next, Dr. Doug Caldwell talked in the first therapy session about loving yourself, not narcissistically though. That added my third mantra. Four weeks later, Dr. Doug Caldwell talked about being at peace with yourself, which added my fourth mantra. The only handout that he gave out mentioned deserving what you want which added my fifth mantra. Dr. Doug Caldwell told us that we did not have to believe what we were telling ourselves, but repeating the short, positive, in the present reaffirmation for a half an hour a day would realign our mindset to where we wanted to go. I being disabled and time to spare, repeated the mantras for an hour and a half a day. The first time that I said, “I am happy” I could feel it very momentarily. The “I love myself” seemed like the biggest lie I had ever told myself. But little by little, I would hold on to the feeling until three months later, I woke up the happiest I had been at that time. I have not looked back and now realize that it was only the first consciousness level and that I have gone on to the fourth consciousness level in happiness which Professor Kevin Bortolin explained. You will have to look into yourself and figure out who you really are, but the other for mantras should help you, but you can feel free change what does not suit you. And add what you need for yourself. I am going for a BA in Psychology and then on to the University of Pennsylvania for my M.A.P.P. and hope to teach Positive Psychology someday. Dr. Doug Caldwell said that I would need a degree to be able to talk to Psychology professionals, so I am going after my degrees. Please share this with your Beyond Blues group as I know that this will help them. I am writing three books about the three poems I am writing about happiness. Oh, I added in calm for those who suffer from anxiety/stress with their depression.
Happiness by Patti Cau.
To change your core being,
You must dig deep into your conscious self.
While using wisdom and intellect,
Decide for yourself what you truly want.
To combat depression, say, “I am happy.”
If stress or anxiety bothers you, recite, “I am calm.”
Following the Golden Rule begets, “I am a good a person.”
Low self-esteem inserts the mantra, “I love myself.”
When thoughts scatter, utter, “I am at peace with myself.”
If deserving this mindset, affix,
“I deserve the happiness, calm, self love and peace of mind.”
Repeating these mantras for an half an hour a day
Will realign your core being to where you want to go.
Though they seem foreign and the biggest lies
By and by the mantras become part of you.
Months later you awake joyously with sensations
That develops into the very mental state you covet.
And if you find yourself deviating,
Repeat these mantras until you’re back to the desired mindset.
These transformations change how you view the world,
For negative memories turn into pleasant memories,
And red lights turn green.
But if you aspire to this,
All you crave will come true.
Good Luck with these mantras, and after you attain the first consciousness level of happiness, take World Religions so that you can experience the fourth consciousness level of happiness. Patti Cau.
Therese, I did not read the solutions but notice that I am experiencing every none one of the ..
Thank You, Kat
PS: except for Nr. 3 and that makes it worse.
It also does not help that everyone whom I have had any real and significant and long time connection to in the 35 years I have lived in the US has died, the last family member in the process of dying.
and that my 13 year old son is so very sad to see me like this and asks me ‘why I am so depressed’, and worries so much about death and his mother.
It also does not help that my counselor is not interested in what I am feeling but only cares about my seeing a psychiatrist. She does care about her own feelings though of feeling very irritated by my nonsense when I am dying inside, and because ..
Last, I do understand my counselor though. Therapy is horrible for me, and it accomplishes the exact opposite….only in ‘there’ do I actually become what I am most afraid off, a monster.
It’s not real; it never is.
It’s so terribly depressing when you behave like the opposite of what you are and mean.
Now I am done. thanks for listening!
KAT
PS: Some people may say something like, that there is a beast living inside of them, or something like that? A smart-ass psychiatrist will at that time stop listening and just write notes about the ‘psychotic affair’.
A good shrink will of course try to find out more about this beast, and from there it then at some point becomes clear that this beast is psychologically very understandable, etc…
Another person will start laughing and another get really mad and irritated by such ‘bullshit’.
My point though is that there is a whole other different option here that no ‘politically correct, so called ‘reality minded’, educated person would even consider…..that is, of course, until this ‘reality’ is invented by some smart guy in 30 years when I was merely just a fool for already knowing about this truth and reality now.
For those women at least of you, you will know it is hardly a psychosis when you are pregnant and your baby kicks and grows inside of your womb, right, or even hiccups?
Well, today this crazy nut-case explained to me how it feels to have this huge, alive, living being grow and kick and crawl in your body, like in your breast, or your skin, or your lungs. And also, how it feels to have that creature kick and fight for it’s life during chemotherapy, and then what it feels like when this wakes up again, and furious?
She was so surprised when I did not run away. But then I am not a therapist, right?
BTW, I am feeling a lot better. My thyroid was way off and is improving. (smile)
I figure I respond, or talk to myself, since nobody else had the desire to respond. I know it makes me look like an idiot, but I have long been beyond this point of trivialities. (mot in a bad way but in a good way)
At least I have one friend I can count on, myself. And I can still laugh at myself, and with myself, also.
And I have other friends, too, and a great family. But still, I am my best friend.
If you are going for a record for the most comments at a site, the field is empty in competition. You need other pursuits, Ms Katrin, and I hope you find them outside your seat in front of a computer screen. The internet is an adjunct to life, not an obsession or demand.
Said to be supportive.
Thank you, skills! kat
PS: Skills, I do operate outside of my seat. it’s not like I am constantly obsessing about my problems on the Internet, right? At most, I use my self to describe experiences from which I have derived knowledge,
The other was a very bad night, when I made a stupid and dangerous mistake with my insulin and overdosed due to short term memory loss problems I have been having. So, totally overtired, I had to stay up for three more hours and eat for my life, literally, in order to not let my BS drop below 60. I was sooo frustrated, it was too much on top of other. Thanks again, Katrin
I have had my moments of hopelessness, especially these past months, and tonight I have decided it is time to do something positive to get back some hope and faith. On Wednesday, November 4, from 10AM to 2PM, I will be picketing the Capital, White House, and other buildings that seem to fit the need for protesting the pending legislation mistakenly called Health Care Reform by having a SICK OUT: “SICK of these intrusions into health care and if Health Care legislation passes I am OUT”. As a board certified psychiatrist and practicing physician these past 16+ years, I have had it with these falsehoods forced on us as doctors that do not help people, but just hurt them. So, I will do my part and bring whatever attention I can by doing this. I ask anyone who agrees with this to join me, as a show of force can only let our alleged representatives know the majority of Americans, and I believe the majority of doctors, do not support these elected officials in their final act of destroying a profession that inherently exists to help people.
I’ll be there on November 4 to show I care, and I hope for better. I hope you do what is right and responsible to do so on your issue(s) that are your core beliefs and principles.
I am not powerless, and I will not accept false labels, as this post ends. I’d rather be villified for doing what is right than glorified for doing what is wrong. And nothing is wrong!
Sincerely,
skillsnotpills, board cert MD
(you’ll find out who I am if you are in DC on the 4th)
skills, I really appreciate you, and I want to thank you for changing the subject and letting me get a glimpse into your personal life. It felt really refreshing to read your comment. i also thought about what you said and I think I have indeed been spending too much time here. i think the reason why is because you start to know who is who and if I don’t come here or somewhere for a while, I feel like I have lost some connection or am no longer up to date. (like, just staying away from politics for a week, and I feel I don’t know any longer what’s up.)
But now, just considering not coming here much any longer,(and when I read stuff, it’s like I really feel I want to, or need to comment), I feel this sense of relief coming over me, like one job less to do. It also did not occur to me until you said it, that I must come across as needy and which really was not my intention, or need, really. (and this long monologue was really an exception) maybe someone who read it will feel rewarded by not comparing to my level of patheticness. (LOL)
But, again, I want to thank you for talking to me, skills, and at this time, because as bad as it sometimes sounds, my spirits are actually quite good, and this is not a ‘chronic depression’. But same be, it does suck even for a week?
I am not these comments on this blog either, and I am glad you came back with your last comment on top of the first which was already such a nice thing to do and hear, coming from you. It helped a lot.
Take care, and I will too,
KATRIN
Therese, I apologize for ’slipping on your driveway’, sort off. I really did not mean to, and I am really sorry if I blocked the way for other comments. I cannot imagine writing an article and having someone ‘lose it’ in my comment section. But I also cannot imagine ignoring them, unless I felt they were there to injure me personally.
Katrin (it won’t happen again, i promise)
PS: Please feel free to erase all my comments and this way someone else will have a chance to start over again?
Katrin,
I wasn’t ignoring you. I just don’t go online during the weekend. But I’m sorry to hear you’re having such a tough time. t
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