Hopelessness Theory of Depression

Depression is something that I have touched on in bits and pieces throughout my posts. There are so many factors and events that can lead to depression. What this video will focus on is the hopelessness theory. This video talks about 3 negative inferential styles.

Cause

This is something I myself experienced. When something bad happens to you, you attribute it to something bigger that is beyond your control. You believe that the world or a group of people are out to get you.

If you do something that does bring you success and/or happiness, the feeling doesn’t last long. You think you got lucky or it was a one time thing that will never happen again. This mindset causes you to not see the effort and work you put into something even if it’s something near and dear to your heart.

Your not alone if this is something that has happened to you. You probably know some people in your life who have experienced this and have thought this way before. Certain friends, co-workers, fellow students, family members, etc maybe.

Consequence

You may have been or gone through a sad, rough, hurtful, or tragic situation recently or at some point in your life. That describes me as well so once again your not alone. You may have had trouble thinking if any kind of good or silver lining could come out of that bad situation.

I have mentioned stressvision in the past. This is where you think the worst thing possible will happen and you have a negative outlook on life. Also you believe that you will never recover from whatever negative and bad thing happened to you and that those consequences will be impacting you forever.

Self-Image

This is where you compare yourself and everything about you to another person or a group of people. You believe that every bad thing that happens to you is all your fault where in reality that may not be the case.

You don’t recognize any positive traits about yourself. You may even lose the ability to see forward past your current situation. Your mind tells you that it will never end, no one can help you or will understand what your going through, and that it will get worse as time goes on.

Wrap Up

The hopelessness theory is just one part of depression. As I mentioned depression can result from various factors. I plan on discussing more about different things of depression in the future.

Therapy has helped me battle and eliminate depression. I would suggest you seek therapy if depression is taking a huge toll on your physical, mental, and emotional health. It will take time to develop a more positive mindset which includes learning new positive ways of thinking. Getting to the roots of your emotions and the situation can be scary and tough to figure out, but when you find them, you can begin healing.

Another thing I have found helpful is hearing others come forward with their personal stories and talk about their struggles. I encourage you all to try this. Vulnerability as I have mentioned can be scary, but it’s very relieving. Find a trusted friend, family member, teacher, loved one, pastor, or a therapist to open up to. Having depressive symptoms is NOT a sign of weakness and taking slow baby steps toward recovery is OK.

Take care, stay safe, and remember your not alone and you have worth in this world.