Learned helplessness

Learned helplessness is personal helplessness that is stable and not situational, but general. It often occurs in children and adolescents against the background of improper upbringing and difficult life circumstances.

Inner picture:

• Installation: «It is possible in principle, even for anyone else it is possible — but not for me.»
• The attitude “my success is because of you, my failure is because of me”

For example, their failures are determined by their own irreparable shortcomings (eg, defects of will or intellect), and successes, if they occur, depend on a fortunate combination of circumstances or on the actions of other people.

• Generalization, the general nature of the installation.

Their failures relate not only to these specific circumstances, but are also characteristic of any other life situations, not only in the present, but also in the future. Having been developed in one particular situation, learned helplessness spreads to many others, so that the subject ceases to attempt to cope even with tasks that can be solved.

Manifestations

In animals, learned helplessness is manifested by inhibition of motor behavior, weakening of biological motivations, impaired ability to learn new skills, as well as the appearance of various somatic disorders (hair loss, increased blood pressure, ulceration of the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract, a decrease in the overall resistance of the organism, including to malignant tumors, etc.).

In humans, learned helplessness is manifested by emotional disorders (depression or neurotic anxiety); Against this background, the emergence of psychosomatic disorders is possible.

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