In my recovery from my accident, I have come across a phase of “learned helplessness”. This was new to me, but it is a very insidious thought process. The example I was given to explain it was this: imagine you are on a sailing boat in the middle of the ocean. You spot a storm approaching. You decide to ready the boat for the storm so you take down and secure the sails, baton down the hatches and prepare to ride out the storm inside the boat.
When the storm is passed, you emerge from the boat and ready it for the continuing journey. You hoist the sails, repair any damage and set a direction. So far so good. Learned helplessness occurs when, even after the storm has passed and the fine weather has returned, you lose the will to raise the sails and do any repairs. Your thinking is: “What’s the point? The next storm is going to do just the same. I can’t outrun it or do anything to avoid it.” The boat remains in its locked down form, just drifting with no direction. Any damage is not fixed and gets worse with each storm. Learned Helplessness is not “being able to do anything to affect the outcome.” It doesn’t have to be in all parts of your life, it can occur only in certain areas and affect you just as much. My storm cloud, which I am emerging from as I write this to you, is chronic pain.
This feature story is found in 'The Hope Edition' of AwareNow Magazine (www.awarenowmagazine.com).
Written & Narrated by: Paul S. Rogers
Music by: ANBR
Produced by: Awareness Ties
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