Single word for feelings of helplessness/hopelessness?

Solution 1:

In those circumstances, I might feel wistful:

Full of melancholy longing or wishful yearning; characterized by a pensive longing or yearning._(TFD)

or dejected:

Being in low spirits; depressed; cast down in spirits; disheartened _(TFD/MW)

Consider, also, melancholy:

a sad thoughtful state of mind; sadness or depression of the spirits; gloom; pensive reflection or contemplation. _(TFD)

demoralised, disheartened,despairing, desperate, wretched, forlorn, pessimistic, defeatist, resigned, etc. It really depends on exactly how you do feel.

Solution 2:

This is a fitting adjective for the "hopeless" part, but "hopefully" this will not be where this sequence ends

resigned adjective: having accepted something unpleasant that one cannot do anything about. "my response is a resigned shrug of the shoulders" see Google resigned

forlorn hope (phrase of forlorn) 1. a persistent or desperate hope that is unlikely to be fulfilled. see Google forlorn