Helplessness

The manner in which the individual experiences  helplessness  when goal-directedness disintegrates, and has been identified as the last important indicator of social malfunctioning. The construct helplessness forms a main part of one of the popular modern behavioral theories on depression that have gained respect in scientific literature, namely the theory of learned helplessness as formulated by Seligman (1975,1991). The theory on learned helplessness concentrates on those depressions that begin with a reaction to loss of control over gratification and relief of suffering, and in which the individual is slow to initiate responses, believes himself to be powerless and hopeless and has a negative outlook on the future. This view argues that it is not trauma itself that has bad effects, but the inability to control trauma (cf. Seligman 1975; Garber & Seligman 1980; Seligman 1991; Gambrill 1977).

Most literature sources on depression agree that helplessness is one of the important ways in which depression expresses itself. Helplessness also seems to fit excellently into the theoretical framework on social functioning: it has to do with the loss of achievement and goal-directedness, the loss of control over feelings of satisfaction and the loss of expectations in life. It also has to do
with severe frustrations and stressors in the individual's life over which he feels he has no control.

In the remainder of this section, the words depression and helplessness will be treated as synonyms. Literature on both depression and helplessness will be discussed, and it is emphasized that helplessness forms part of the different theories on depression that have been formulated in literature.

A final Definition of Helplessness

The following definition of helplessness has been formulated:

"Helplessness can be seen as the state the individual reaches when he experiences that whatever he does, does not matter and that there is no way in which he can control the environmental forces in his life. It relates to the disintegration of goaldirected activities and living in an existential vacuum, where one can find no meaning to attach to one’s life. The individual is normally exhausted in his coping abilities and has been under excessive stress for too long."

The following Attributes relate to Helpless People

1. Feel unable to cope with even the simplest demand of daily life
2. No motivation left
3. Blame others and themselves for unpleasant social consequences
4. Feel trapped in unsolvable problems
5. Lost their meaning in life
6. Have no purpose in life
7. Feel that the pleasure has gone out of life
8. Experience dissatisfaction with life
9. Deny achievements and abilities
10. Take everything seriously
11. Feel empty and worthless
12. Blame themselves for bad events
13. Feel bad events will persist
14. Believe their actions are doomed to failure
15. Experience feelings of apathy
16. Feel disappointed
17. Feel downhearted
18. Feel isolated
19. Feel sad
20. Experience losses as irreversible
21. Goal-directed activities have disintegrated
22. Very sensitive to failure
23. Have a negative view of this world
24. Their sense of well-being is under attack
25. Exercise self-criticism
26. Lost positive and healthy self-esteem
27. Experience extreme exhaustion
28. Lost capacity to enjoy any activity
29. Feel helpless and powerless
30. Lost control over life
31. Feel incompetent
32. Experiences decrease in energy
33. Experience lack of enthusiasm to engage in activities
34. Experience feelings of lost hope in the future
35. Withdraw themselves from life
36. In severe cases can experience suicidal wishes
37. Find it difficult to engage in productive activities
38. Lost their self-confidence
39. Find it difficult to relate satisfactorily with other people

Immobilize
Not moving.
Apathy
Absence of interest in or enthusiasm; absence of emotion.
Disintegration
To break into fragments, shatter.
Trauma
A powerful shock that may have long-lasting effects.