Lets use the example of learned helplessness to illustrate the Twelve Nidanas of dependent origination.
1. Ignorance (avijja): The person lacks understanding of their own agency and power to change their circumstances, leading to a sense of powerlessness.
2. Mental formations (sankhara): Due to this ignorance, the person develops a belief that they are powerless to change their situation and that further effort is futile.
3. Consciousness (viññana): The persons consciousness becomes conditioned by this belief in learned helplessness, shaping their perceptions and actions.
4. Name and form (nama-rupa): The persons mind and body manifest in a way that reinforces learned helplessness, such as low energy levels or aversion to taking action.
5. The six sense bases (salayatana): The persons sense organs interact with their environment, reinforcing their perception of helplessness.
6. Contact (phassa): The persons sense organs encounter situations that reinforce their belief in helplessness, such as a series of failures or rejections without apparent recourse.
7. Feeling (vedana): The person experiences a sense of helplessness, powerlessness, and hopelessness as a result of the contact with their environment.
8. Craving (tanha): The person develops a desire to retreat from or avoid situations that trigger their learned helplessness.
9. Clinging (upadana): The persons attachment to their learned helplessness intensifies, leading to a cycle of avoidance behaviors that further reinforce the sense of powerlessness.
10. Becoming (bhava): This clinging to learned helplessness reinforces the persons habitual patterns and karmic tendencies, perpetuating the cycle of helplessness.
11. Birth (jati): The persons learned helplessness manifests in the form of a lack of effort, initiative, or assertiveness.
12. Old age and death (jara-marana): Unaddressed learned helplessness can lead to further instances of suffering and missed opportunities, leading to future instances of powerlessness that perpetuate the cycle of suffering.
In this example, we can see how the Twelve Nidanas apply to the arising and perpetuation of learned helplessness. By recognizing the interdependence of the Twelve Links, a person can break free from the cycle of learned helplessness and cultivate a sense of empowerment and agency, ultimately leading to greater resilience, satisfaction, and well-being.

How to break cycle at each point:

Certainly, here are examples of how one could break the cycle of learned helplessness at each point:

1. Ignorance (avijja): By recognizing the possibility of making changes and learning new skills, one can begin to break free from the cycle of learned helplessness. Developing a growth mindset and seeking out new experiences can help to challenge limiting beliefs and perceptions.

2. Mental formations (sankhara): By consciously choosing to interpret situations in a more positive light and reframing negative self-talk, one can begin to shift their habitual patterns of thought.

3. Consciousness (viññana): By practicing mindfulness meditation, one can begin to observe the workings of their consciousness and gain insight into how thoughts and beliefs shape their experience.

4. Name and form (nama-rupa): By engaging in physical exercise or activities that bring a sense of mastery (such as creative projects), one can cultivate a sense of efficacy and agency in the world.

5. The six sense bases (salayatana): By seeking out experiences that challenge ones sense of powerlessness and limitations, such as by learning new skills or engaging in activities outside of ones comfort zone, one can begin to break free from the cycle of learned helplessness.

6. Contact (phassa): By cultivating awareness of the triggers that lead to feelings of helplessness, one can begin to develop strategies to mitigate the impact of these triggers.

7. Feeling (vedana): By practicing self-compassion and self-care, one can begin to break free from the negative feelings that reinforce learned helplessness.

8. Craving (tanha): By developing a willingness to face and tolerate uncomfortable emotions, one can develop greater resilience and avoid the avoidance behaviors that characterize learned helplessness.

9. Clinging (upadana): By recognizing the ways in which learned helplessness has become a habitual response and consciously choosing to engage in different behaviors, one can begin to break free from the cycle.

10. Becoming (bhava): By cultivating positive habits and patterns of thought, one can create new karmic tendencies that reinforce feelings of empowerment and agency.

11. Birth (jati): By taking action and asserting oneself in the world, one can break free from the habits of learned helplessness and manifest greater potential.

12. Old age and death (jara-marana): By continuing to practice self-awareness and self-care, one can avoid falling back into the cycle of learned helplessness and experience ongoing growth and development.