Errant Belief #10: “We Have Lost Hope”

Have a Positive Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Not a Negative One

In my opinion, giving up hope is a dysfunctional coping mechanism to deal with the pain. Unfortunately, it suggests incorrectly that there is nothing constructive that can be done. If family members and friends no longer believe that the person will reestablish contact (if they have disconnected) or leave the group, then at least they will no longer be angry, frustrated, sad, disappointed and even depressed. Some people have actually told me that they have grieved their loved one as if he had already died. I say, “If the person is still breathing, then they are still alive! Therefore, there is hope!”