Imagine you are walking around school, roaming the noisy hallways. You spot your friend and he seems a little off. His head is down, he seems uninterested in what is around him, his eyes seem dull and lifeless. This could be a sign that your friend is struggling and going through a tough time. In this blog, I will be discussing signs of distress in your friends or peers and what to do about it
Table of Contents
What is a Friend in Distress
A friend in distress usually means someone going through great mental suffering or pain. This could be a state of great sadness, extreme anxiety, pain or other unusual states. An example of this could be a friend who maybe lost a close family member and is still grieving. Another example could be a student who just dealt with a traumatizing situation and is still recovering. Now these are just a couple of examples and they may not reflect all scenarios of a friend in distress.
Why does it matter
Noticing the signs of someone in distress can be helpful in trying to help them. People who are in distress may in some cases act erratically and could potentially hurt themselves or others. In general as a human being it is also important to try to help others who may be at one of the roughest points in their life.
Specific Signs of Distress
Lack of appetite
While this sign might not necessarily mean that your friend could be in distress it is still important to consider it a sign. Not eating can show emotional issues and your friend might be in distress
Low energy
This sign can show that mentally they are out and just do not feel like doing anything. It could also be a sign that other things in their life are just not going well. This can be getting a proper amount of sleep, eating well, and other signs of lack of care.
Lack of interest
They might show no interest in things that normally were important to them or very interested in. They might also try to distance themselves from their friends or other people close to them. A lack of interest can show a significant shift in their mind and can be a sign of a friend in distress.
Feeling hopeless
This can be a sign of great mental struggle as a feeling of hopelessness. Your friend might voice concerns such as claiming life is meaningless or there is little point in doing something.
Now that you are aware of a couple signs of distress, we can move to solutions
Solutions
Be there for them
An important step to help a friend in distress is to be able for them. Maybe you can be the person that they can rely on and support during one of the toughest times in their life.
Avoid giving unwanted advice
While it might be in your best intentions to give your friend advice in order to help, in most cases this might not help as you expect. Your best move would be to listen to them.
Avoid being Judgemental
When your friend needs your support it is important that you do not judge them. It can belittle them and make them feel that their emotions are not valid. You should avoid phrases like “it’s not that bad” or “that is not a big deal”.
Keep in contact
Try to avoid cutting yourself from your friend. While they may be struggling you should avoid removing yourself from them as they might feel that they have no one to turn to.
Get Professional help
In some cases it can be a good idea to refer your friend to a trusted mental health professional. Now you need to do so in a way that is natural and does not make your friend feel excluded or weird.
These are just a couple of suggestions to help your friend in need. While this may not apply to all cases I hope that they provided some guidance in helping your friend in distress.