Understanding Learned Helplessness and Anxiety

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学会了无助is a state that animals can get in when they regularly meet negative stimuli when they try to escape. After a time, they stop trying to escape completely, assuming that it is hopeless and they are unable to change the situation. This can become so prevalent that even when an escape is presented, they are unable or unwilling to take advantage of it.

This concept of learned helplessness plays a large role ingeneralized anxiety disorder(GAD). If you continually feel helpless due to your anxiety, you may give up looking for a solution, accepting the current state as inevitable and unchanging. Continued inaction can cause you to refuse therapy or medication, even when those things could make a considerable difference.

Learned Helplessness and Generalized Anxiety Disorder

学会无助往往从年轻时开始,如在童年期间.

Scientists hypothesize that distant parenting can worsen learned hopelessness and anxiety, as the child learns early on that they are helpless and that their parents will not come to their aid.

In addition, growing up with parents who suffer from learned helplessness themselves can lead to the child developing it, too.

Over time, as the child ages, they will likely see their situation as being set and determined, unable to be changed. Particularly if they has anxiety, this can be incredibly persistent. They becomes so used to their anxious state of mind that they cannot imagine any other way of living or that recovery could be possible.

The Vicious Cycle

The learned helplessness andanxiety symptoms可以是A.恶性循环. If the child is anxious and can't be soothed, they feels like nothing can be done and learned helplessness sets in. The more they accepts it as inevitable, the more anxiety takes hold.

与焦虑相关的学习无助的症状包括:

  • Frustration
  • Poor self-esteem
  • Difficulty sleeping

治疗

While learned helplessness can be a serious problem, it can be successfully treated if targeted by a mental health professional. Studies have found that if people receive intervention at the onset of learned helplessness, it can be decreased through therapy and coaching. Even at later stages, improvements can be made with regular work. Once this issue is tackled, then治疗焦虑can begin successfully.

Getting Help

并非所有有Gad的人都会经历学会无助。它随着时间的推移而在一起发展的一系列因素。遗传和环境因素可能会增加孩子开发两种GAD并学会无助的可能性。

If you feel you have gotten stuck in a pattern of learned helplessness, visit a healthcare professional for a comprehensive evaluation to get an appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan. Throughcognitive behavioral therapy,您将学习如何抵消您学到的无助Incless Instincts并更换更合理,乐观的思想。

您可以学会争取自己的假设并促进应对的技能来管理您的症状。在某些情况下,您的医生可能会推荐药物以帮助管理您的焦虑,以便您能够集中注意力并专注于您的待遇。

如果你或亲人正在努力焦虑,请联系Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357有关您所在地区的支持和治疗设施的信息。

For more mental health resources, see our国家助理数据库.

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  • 塞利格曼,我。“学会了无助”。Annual Review of Medicine, 1972, 407-412.