Sweetheart, you’re not fine

In economics, a doom loop is the phenomenon where weak banks destabilize governments that support them, and over indebted governments push banks that hold their bonds over the edge.

It’s a negative spiral. A virtueless circle that keeps inflicting crises on the public unless arrested.

This term was first introduced in the eighties, and has since been researched and in numerous fields including psychology, systems thinking and organizational management.

But the original idea actually dates back thousands of years.

Hindu scholars talk about a phenomenon called samskara. These are mental impressions, recollections, or psychological imprints. Mystics claim that every action, intent or preparation by an individual leaves a samskara in the deeper structure of the person’s mind. And when those impressions are negative, we enter into the doom loop.

Problems compound and initial solutions don’t seem to have a positive effect.

Ask anyone who’s ever been depressed before. Talk about entering a doom loop. You’re so overwhelmed by crisis, so exhausted by emptiness, that you feel there’s no way to break the inertia. Not taking action makes you feel sad and pathetic and ashamed, which makes you less motivated, which makes you feel even more guilty, which reduces your productivity, and around and around you go.

It’s brutal. Finding ways to break the doom loop and shock yourself into action seem futile.

What’s more, there’s pressure from within to not change.

Because that’s the thing about sitting in your own shit. It’s warm, it’s familiar and it’s yours. 

Question is, just how long do you have to wallow in your own sadness before you decide to change?

That number is different for everybody.

Some people hit rock bottom, catch an unguarded glimpse of themselves in the mirror, and channel their feelings of disgust in the service of healing.

Some people retreat into a psychological fortress of denial until their significant other turns to them and says, sweetheart, you’re not fine.

Some people suddenly realize that human shit smells terrible and they’re no longer satisfied with a life of depression and isolation.

Look, there are as many journey out of the doom loop as there are people to take them. But the only thing that matters is, it doesn’t have to be forever. It’s not permanent.

Millions of people have found ways out of the virtueless circle.

Bell, the former megachurch pastor, once characterized his own battles with doom loops in the following ten words. They’ve always stuck with me.

Every little bit of hope you stumble across is real. 

Whatever emotional crisis has taken hold of you, trust me, there is a way overcome the pressure from within not to change.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
When was the last time you shocked yourself out of inaction?