“It is hopelessness even more than pain that crushes the soul.”
— William Styron, Darkness Visible

By Michael Yates

CAMPBELL COUNTY, TN. (WLAF)- Hopelessness is not just sadness or grief—it is the absence of belief in a better future. In his memoir Darkness Visible, William Styron gave voice to the unspeakable anguish of depression, describing a pain so consuming that time itself becomes unbearable. It’s a reality too many are now confronting.

In mental health care, we understand that healing often begins with one intangible but essential element: hope. Psychiatrist Irvin Yalom called this the “installation of hope” – a core therapeutic ingredient, especially in group settings. When people witness others grappling with similar struggles and moving forward, it inspires the belief that change—though slow and uneven—is possible.

Across the country and here at home, hope is in shorter supply. The CDC reports that more than 1 in 6 adults experience symptoms of depression, and nearly 1 in 3 high school girls have seriously considered suicide. These numbers are not just troubling; they are a siren that far too many feel trapped in emotional isolation, unable to imagine relief or restoration.

While therapy, medication, and access to care are crucial interventions, we must also address something less clinical but no less critical: the deep sense of aloneness that so often accompanies hopelessness.

Hope isn’t only built in clinical settings. It’s nurtured in community, in the simple reassurance that we’re not alone. Poet Maya Angelou captured this truth in her poem Alone:

That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Isolation magnifies pain, but connection—through community, family, friendship, support groups, compassionate workplaces, or shared story—offers a bridge back to hope. It’s hope that allows people to imagine a life beyond their current suffering.

Hope is not a passive feeling. It’s a muscle requiring exercise. In an episode of On Being, host Krista Tippett referred to hope as “a muscle that we practice by being in relationship, by taking action, and by choosing not to give in to despair.” Like any muscle, hope grows stronger the more we engage it—through empathy, through effort, and through the brave act of imagining something better, even in the face of pain.

At Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services, we witness the quiet power of hope every day. It rarely arrives all at once. But it grows—in the presence of empathy, in the safety of support, and in the courage of taking that first step toward healing because someone listens. Because someone stays. Because someone says, “You matter—and you’re not alone, things can get better and tomorrow can be better than today.” We believe hope isn’t wishful thinking—it’s a form of strength, one that can be built, practiced, and shared.

So let us be stewards of hope by holding it for one another, especially for those who have lost sight of it. It’s something we can all help instill—in our workplaces, in our families, in our communities. Because no one should have to carry their pain – or their hope – alone.

If you or someone you love is struggling, Ridgeview offers same-day access through our Walk-in Clinics in Anderson, Campbell, Fentress, Morgan, Roane, and Scott counties. You can learn more at www.ridgeview.com, or call our 24/7 Mobile Crisis Line at 800-870-5481.

Michael Yates is the Director of Development at Ridgeview Behavioral Health Services

(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 6/17/2025-6AM-PAID)

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