Breaking the Pattern of Depression
Depression plagues thousands upon thousands of people every day. The causes of depression vary and breaking the pattern of depression can be difficult, but is possible. Some people who are stuck in a cycle of depression may feel trapped. This article will look at the concept of learned helplessness and how uncovering these out of control feelings can help someone who is depressed get back on the road to recovery.
People who are depressed usually experience an overwhelming feeling that they have no control over their life or the circumstances therein. They often feel as though no matter what they do, it won’t be right, or won’t “fix” things.
This out of control feeling produces what is called learned helplessness. Depressed people believe that no matter what they do, they’ll always get the same end result, so they give up easily, never even trying to change their situation.
Learned helplessness is a pattern of behavior that has been conducted by the depressed person over an amount of time. Someone who is depressed and feels like they have no control over their own life often resorts to this learned helplessness.
One way to break this pattern of feeling helpless is to work on internal control. When a depressed person feels loss of control on what’s going on in their life, they have to learn how to instead turn inward.
Internal control enables that person to remain calm and in control, regardless of the external circumstances. Then, when they can remain in control internally and be patient, they eventually figure out alternatives to the situation.
Certain patterns of behavior, like learned helplessness, can be changed. Therapists can often help depressed people learn how to retrain their brain to stop this helpless thought process. Tiny steps like these help those who are depressed learn to live a life free of depression, over a period of time.
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