Support for Men Feeling Hopeless
The feeling of true hopelessness is like being deep underwater, so deep that you can barely remember sunlight.
Hopelessness is an overwhelming feeling. It narrows time and attention. It shrinks time to the next painful hour and filters out anything that might help. It insists nothing will change and hides all evidence to the contrary.
But this feeling is NEVER final. It is not the final truth.
Find the light
Hopelessness is just a story that has seeped into our minds and taken root. We can use therapy to test that story with our memory and our actions until hope becomes visible and tangible again.
If you are struggling with feelings of hopelessness, know that help is available and you are not alone.
If you can’t see a next step, borrow one: a call to a helpline, take a short walk, or reach out for a conversation with a friend or loved one.
If you are in immediate danger, call 000. For 24/7 support: Lifeline 13 11 14 (text 0477 13 11 14, webchat), Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636, or the Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.
Hopelessness vs Depression
Hopelessness is sometimes used as a synonym for Depression, but this is not entirely accurate. People struggling with may or may not report feeling hopeless. This is because hope is ephemeral, something we can internally sense and something we only truly miss when its gone. Since I can’t say it better than my favourite author, Cormac McCarthy, I’ll let him say it instead:
The ex-priest, watching, his head slightly cocked, said: ‘No man is give leave of that voice.’
The kid spat into the fire and bent to his work. ‘I ain't heard no voice’, he said.
‘When it stops’, said Tobin, ‘you'll know you've heard it all your life…’
Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian (1985)
Depression, being both a lifestyle and a chemical phenomenon, is in some ways easier to define than hopelessness. However, both are treatable and there is always a way forward.
Ready to talk?
I offer counselling appointments in Penrith, or tele-health Australia-wide. After hour appointments available. No GP referral required.
The first step is to book a free 10 minute phone chat. ​​