Many individuals find themselves facing challenges, sometimes ones that feel impossible to overcome. You may find yourself feeling lost along a road, feeling too tired to reach your goals. You may feel sad because you see no hope at all. No matter how you try you may find that nothing makes you feel better amidst the chaos. You may even be wondering how you got to this dark and lonely place of hopelessness.

Hopelessness and Depression

While sadness can be a natural human emotion, feeling hopeless for extended periods of time is not. Hopelessness can be one of the most frustrating feelings and is also a symptom of depression. If you find yourself experiencing hopelessness, your view of the future may seem to always be negative. There may always be an expectation of failure, pain, difficulties, despair and dissatisfaction. You may be wondering how you can help yourself if you have a negative view of most things, even yourself. You may even be experiencing the urge to give up, thinking there is no sense in even trying.

Feelings of hopelessness may lead you to believe that life is unfair. Despite working diligently, trying your hardest, caring and giving it your all, you may still be left feeling that you aren’t receiving the results you may deserve. This kind of thinking can spiral deeper into hopelessness and depression.

The Effects of Hopelessness

Studies have shown that severe hopelessness can lead to self-sabotaging behaviors and even self-injury. This does not mean that a person experiencing hopelessness will want to end their life. It does, however, indicate that hopelessness may cause a person to be at higher risk for self-harm. For a person feeling hopeless, self-harm may appear to be a better option than living with problems that don’t seem to have a solution or with conditions that don’t appear to be improving.

Finding Hope Beyond Hopelessness

Living in hopelessness can be painful. You may feel completely deprived of motivation. If you feel hopeless, you may need to reach out for help.

Seeking help can take courage. Help can come from many places, though many report that seeking therapy can be the most beneficial way to fight the feelings of hopelessness. A counselor can assist you in finding the underlying cause of your feelings of hopelessness and help you to work through this.

Hold on to hope and schedule your first appointment with an independently contracted therapist with Carolina Counseling Services – Fuquay-Varina, NC. With counseling, you can regain your lost hope. When you call CCS to request an appointment, you can begin to move forward, finding the hope that you deserve.

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