Dr. Hall,

Learned helplessness occurs when people feel helpless to avoid negative situations. People who experience this feel that they have no control over what will happen to them; therefore, they simply accept their situation regardless of how unfortunate it is. I believe that learned helplessness is related to addiction as learned helplessness can contribute to addiction and vice versa. For instance, individuals who feel powerless in their lives may turn to substance abuse as a way to cope and as a way to escape negative situations. According to Sterling (1996), low personal control and a sense of meaninglessness are associated with learned helplessness which also contributes to both the onset and the maintenance of substance use.

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