Hopelessness can affect all areas of people’s lives. It can affect them emotionally, mentally, socially and physically. Hopelessness may only affect someone minimally and for a short time. However, there are many cases where hopelessness has a major impact on a person’s life. It can also lead to serious conditions, such as depression.
In this article we will take a more in-depth look at these various components of health. We will also look at the question of how can hopelessness affect people’s lives. We will also discuss how to deal with this issue if it is affecting your life.
What Can Cause Feelings of Hopelessness?
Feelings of hopelessness can be caused either from external or internal factors. Many sources attribute feelings of hopelessness to past trauma experiences. Present day difficult situations can also contribute to hopelessness. Experiencing relationship difficulties, money problems or health issues can all cause feelings of hopelessness.
Internal health conditions and illnesses, such as depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) often have close links with feelings of hopelessness. Other conditions related with hopelessness are bipolar and anxiety The question ‘how can hopelessness affect people’s lives’ must be considered when looking at conditions such as these.
How Can Hopelessness Affect People Emotionally and Mentally?
When someone experiences hopelessness, it can bring with it many other negative emotions. It can result in more than just momentary feelings of sadness. People can feel a sense of powerlessness, helplessness and even abandonment. At its most extreme, hopelessness may cause someone to consider suicide.
If you ask how can hopelessness affect people’s lives, you must keep in mind that it can effect everyone differently. People respond to, and process difficult situations differently. Therefore, for some, hopelessness will just be a passing phase but for other’s it will become a long-term, ongoing part of their lives.
In some, the feelings of hopelessness may result in a person becoming angrier and more aggressive. They may find they become frustrated a lot easier and do not tolerate the things they once did.
How Can Hopelessness Affect People Socially?
A person’s social life can be affected inadvertently when they are feeling hopeless. They may try to avoid spending time with their friends and also family members. When people start to isolate themselves, it can become increasingly difficult to change this pattern of behavior. You’ll notice the person can become more and more withdrawn.
They tend to lose interest in things they once cared about. Maybe the person was once a member of a sporting club or had a number of hobbies outside of the home. This passion and interest can quickly change however if someone starts experiencing feelings of helplessness.
How Can Hopelessness Affect People Physically?
Feelings of hopelessness can lead to someone experiencing high levels of stress. Long term stress has numerous physical impacts on the body. For example, it can be detrimental to your immune system. This means people experiencing hopelessness are more likely to get sick. Even if you don’t get an illness, you are more likely to get headaches and feel fatigued.
Disturbed sleeping patterns can also be a symptom. Maybe you have trouble getting to sleep, or you are oversleeping and don’t want to get out of bed. Taking less care with physical appearance, and also your personal hygiene is often a symptom. A person’s appetite may also be affected.
A person who was not known previously for taking part in risky activities may suddenly demonstrate a change in behavior. They may exhibit more of a ‘care-free’ attitude, which may lead to them participating in some dangerous behaviors. Obviously putting their physical health at risk.
When people ask how can hopelessness affect people’s lives they often just think in terms of the emotional and mental impact. But as you’ve seen here, the physical impact on one’s health can be significant. Our thoughts and feelings manifest in our physical bodies in many ways. This is another reason emotional and mental problems need to be taken seriously.
Can Hopelessness Be Overcome?
One place to start, when trying to overcome an issue of hopelessness, would be to try and establish the main causes behind the feelings. Talking things over with a friend or a trained professional is a good idea. They can see things from a different point of view. Psych Central suggests that we need to consider our own thoughts and look at how we can change them.
Sometimes we have to act first then hopefully the feelings will follow. A similar analogy might be smiling, even when you don’t feel happy. Apparently just the act of smiling can trigger feelings of happiness. So even though you may not be feeling hopeful, acting in a way that indicates you have hope may cause the actual feelings to follow suit.