A person can experience learned helplessness when they learn to see things as they are - and not to imagine them to be even worse than they are. When they are fully aware of the situation they find themselves in and accept it, they are experiencing learned helplessness.

The three components of learned helplessness are cognitive (believing one has no control over a situation), motivational (feeling unable to change the outcome), and emotional (experiencing feelings of helplessness and resignation).

Seligman

Learned helplessness is a significant risk factor for the development of depression in humans (as well as in other mammals). This was first described and elucidated by Seligman.

Mario Mikulincer has written:

'Human learned helplessness' -- subject(s): Helplessness (Psychology)