The despair learned, also called acquired impotence, is a condition of those who behave passively because this is how they were taught, so this person thinks that he cannot face any kind of adverse situation, when in most cases he could react. and overcome the fact.
This difficulty has always been closely linked to depression and other disturbances of the mind that make the patient constantly reaffirm the idea that there is no solution to their problems, even if the reality is different.
- Despair learned or acquired from helplessness is the result of negative or aversive stimuli.
- Usually uncontrollable.
- That end up creating a lack of initiative on the part of those who suffer from them.
Therefore, it is not stress that will lead to the development of despair, but the inability to control what triggers stress, this dynamic appears, for example, in families with authoritarian parents very often, children end up accepting all kinds of situations (also outside the family sphere). because they feel it’s not worth trying to change or control them.
This avalanche of negative situations not only creates a lack of ability to take initiatives, but we also often encounter people who are not able to learn new behaviors, their condition will be unmotivated and listless even if they are not mentally calm.
As the name suggests, this state is “learned”. This means that as human beings we tend to study the consequences of our actions cautiously, without realizing the behaviors that end up generating negative consequences and accepting those that bring us positive consequences.
This may seem beneficial to us, but it’s not always the case. For example, when a child reports a math test and knows that at home he or she will be severely punished, even if he or she will not start doing well. in math On the contrary, you will probably look for ways to skip classes and exams, and believe that you will never be able to learn this subject.
If the situation persists, would the child be continually exposed to an anxiety and sadness factor, a condition closely related to depression?And this will likely lead the child to develop this disorder.
To try to control and cure this disorder it is very important to look for a specialist to help us understand what is going on and how we can address the situation, we should never self-diagnose, however obvious the symptoms may seem to us. .
In addition to care and exercises recommended by your psychologist or psychiatrist, we can help each other and try to progress by following some tips:
The despair learned is curable. Although this may seem complex and impossible, we can always count on help, whether it’s the help of a professional, the support of a family or a friend, the truth is that we are never alone.
It is also important, in turn, to be patient. Understanding that the behavior learned, probably from childhood, is not easy to change and overcome. It’s not fair to recharge quickly; take as much time as you need.