Learned Helplessness: What It Is and How It Affects Addiction Recovery

By Clinton Courier | August 25, 2022 |

If addicted people are to achieve long-term recovery, part of the process will be facing up to their addiction. As a part of the addiction recovery process, addicts will have to experience days of realization and clarity wherein they admit they are addicted and make a conscious decision to defeat the addiction. These realization moments can lead to an addict making the critical choice to live a better life and stop using drugs or alcohol.

According to a drug rehab in Florida, there are many reasons addicts find it difficult to recover and defeat addiction, one of which is because they feel powerless. They feel like they do not have the power to make the necessary changes in their lives. This particular feeling is called Learned Helplessness.

To learn more about Learned Helplessness, including what it is, how it works, and the best ways to fight it, keep on reading.

What Is Learned Helplessness?

In psychology, they define Learned Helplessness as a mental condition where people are made to face aversive stimuli and become unwilling or unable to avoid subsequent encounters with the same stimuli, even if possible.

The theory of Learned Helplessness was first proposed by an American psychologist named Martin E.P. Seligman in the late 1960’s early 1970s. Working at the University of Pennsylvania, Seligman conducted experiments where one group of animals was subject to mild electric shock and had no way to avoid it. The second group of animals were then subject to mild electric shock but were offered a way to escape the shock. His experiments showed that some animals learned to accept the electric shock and would not try to escape or avoid it even when that option was available.

The same experiments were subsequently conducted on humans using a loud noise instead of an electric shock and yielded similar results. Some subjects would consider exposure to a loud noise inevitable and would not try to avoid or escape the noise even when presented with that option.

From these experiments, Seligman concluded that subjects who refused to escape the shock or loud noise exhibited learned behavior. This learned belief that a particular outcome is inevitable or uncontrollable is at the crux of the Learned Helplessness theory.

Signs of Learned Helplessness

While symptoms of Learned Helplessness can vary depending on the situation, they most commonly manifest as:

Low self-esteem
A tendency to delay dealing with problems
Inability to problem solve
Frequent episodes of loneliness, incompetence, or frustration
A tendency to give up when confronted with difficult situations

The Dangers Of Learned Helplessness

Many people in recovery suffer from Learned Helplessness, and it must be addressed for the following reasons:

1. It increases the risk of relapse.

Learned Helplessness makes people believe they are helpless to control or beat addiction, increasing the chance of relapse. Recovering addicts may feel that it is a waste of time to try to overcome their addiction, and as a result, they give up fighting and relapse back into using drugs and alcohol. Here, a Drug Treatment Center can help you. Not only will you get the proper support and guidance, but they’ll also help you understand how to deal with negative feelings like Learned Helplessness.

2. It makes people lose confidence.

Men and women in recovery can lose their confidence due to a feeling of powerlessness. They come to believe they are incapable of doing anything that will make a difference and lose their faith in themselves.

With the loss of confidence comes losing trust in themselves and other people, insecurity, depression, feelings of incompetency, and loneliness.

Many have learned from an experienced alcohol interventionist how structured guidance and consistent support can help rebuild self-trust over time. This process encourages individuals to recognize patterns, address underlying issues, and gradually restore confidence in their ability to make healthier choices.

3. It makes people overdependent.

Addicts exhibiting Learned Helplessness become intensely dependent on their loved ones and family members. They expect others to prioritize and care for them, even after they keep making mistakes and relapsing.

This overreliance on other people can also be seen in the decision-making process. People suffering from Learned Helplessness lack confidence in the outcomes of their decisions and believe that their decisions will not have any positive impact. Consequently, they will avoid making decisions and become dependent on others.

4. It makes trusting people harder.

Learned Helplessness increases distrust and makes it harder for people to trust those who offer help, believing that nothing can help them fight addiction. They have become resigned to a feeling of helplessness and being unable to control their lives.

5. It can lead to suicidal thoughts.

Learned Helplessness is a feeling of powerlessness and having given up, which can lead to depression. In turn, depression can lead to suicidal thoughts and, in worst cases, even death.

How to Overcome Learned Helplessness

While Learned Helplessness may seem like a severe problem, there’s a lot that people in recovery can do to fight it. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one option, and it can change how men and women in recovery think and act. This treatment includes:

Constant encouragement and support
Exploring, recognizing, and confronting the root causes of Learned Helplessness
Finding ways to increase feelings of empowerment and decrease feelings of Helplessness
Recognizing and replacing negative thoughts that can lead to Learned Helplessness
Recognizing and avoiding those behaviors that encourage Learned Helplessness
Increasing self-esteem
Addressing trauma, abuse, neglect, and the associated feelings.
Setting achievable and measurable goals.

Research shows that men and women in recovery can significantly benefit from having a positive outlook on life. A positive outlook will help overcome addiction and counteract Learned Helplessness.

Key Takeaway

Learned Helplessness is an established and accepted psychological factor that often plays a significant role in leading to addiction and hindering the recovery process.

To fight it off, addiction rehabilitation and recovery programs will address Learned Helplessness as part of their long-term rehabilitation strategy.