Feeling hopeless is the feeling that the situation will not change for the better, problems cannot be solved, and the future contains no opportunity or way out. Sometimes a person understands rationally that circumstances can change, but emotionally cannot believe it.
This experience can occur during difficult life events, prolonged stress, loss or exhaustion. It may also be one of the manifestations of depression or another mental condition. The feeling of hopelessness in itself does not allow making a diagnosis, but it is important to treat it carefully.
What is important to know
Hopelessness can affect not only your mood, but also your thinking and behaviour. When a person feels for a long time that nothing can change, it becomes more difficult for him to seek solutions, seek support, or take actions that could potentially improve the situation.
With severe depression, hopelessness can be so strong that the future is perceived exclusively negatively. In this state, one’s own assessment of prospects may differ significantly from real possibilities.
Therefore, it is important to perceive the feeling of “no way out” as a sign of the current state, and not as objective confirmation that nothing really can be changed.
How hopelessness can manifest itself
A person may notice thoughts and sensations:
“nothing will change”;
“It will always be like this”;
“there is no point in trying anything”;
“I don’t see a way out”;
“the future has no meaning”;
“no one and nothing can help.”
Sometimes hopelessness is accompanied by passivity, giving up plans, social isolation, or stopping trying to solve problems.
What to pay attention to
How long does the feeling of hopelessness last and does it intensify over time?
Is it related to a specific situation or concerns almost the whole life and future.
Is there simultaneously a depressed mood, loss of interest, apathy or severe fatigue.
Has it become difficult to make decisions, make plans, or imagine a positive future.
Do you have a desire to isolate yourself from other people?
Are there any disturbances in sleep, appetite, concentration or a noticeable decrease in activity?
Do you have thoughts about your own uselessness, uselessness, or the feeling that others would be better off without you?
Do you have thoughts about dying or harming yourself?
Whether alcohol or other substances are used as a way to cope.
What can you do
When a person feels hopeless, it can be difficult to see alternatives on their own. During such periods, it is important not to try to solve the entire situation at once, but to focus on the immediate necessary steps.
A supportive conversation with a loved one, doctor or psychotherapist can help you see opportunities that are now difficult to notice on your own and plan steps to solve problems.
It is also useful to temporarily reduce demands on yourself and divide large problems into small tasks that you can work on sequentially.
When to ask for help
Contact your doctor or mental health professional if feelings of hopelessness persist, worsen, or begin to affect your ability to work, study, maintain relationships, and care for yourself.
Professional help is especially important if a person ceases to see meaning in the future, abandons important plans, becomes increasingly isolated, or believes that the situation can never improve.
This information does not replace an individual medical consultation.
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