Are you worried about someone close to you? Are you wondering how they are feeling? It's probably because you've identified signs in their behaviour that they might be experiencing difficulties and distress. When someone is not feeling well, they may show a number of signs and symptoms that indicate their condition and change their usual behaviour. To help you identify if your friend is in distress and might be needing your help, here are some warning signs that you can spot.
To spot these signs, trust yourself, your own feelings and behaviours: when you feel that something is wrong or that you are worried about a friend, it probably means that you have picked up on signs without realizing it. So pay attention and try to identify what made you feel that way about their behaviour. Signs that are loud and noticeable are easier to identify (crying, aggressiveness, weight loss, etc.). However, we must also be vigilant to the so-called "negative" signs that are more difficult to notice and that make us forget the person (withdrawal, silence, absence). Taken separately, these behaviours are not alarming, especially if they are transitory. For example, it is quite normal after a breakup to be sad, irritable or to have trouble sleeping. It is the accumulation of these signs or their sudden appearance that indicates the person is suffering.
Emotional signs
Like other signs, emotional signs can be identified if you carefully observe your friend's behaviour and the changes that appear. Here are some examples of how to spot them:
A depressive mood (sadness, boredom or guilt): gloomy face, crying, pessimistic or devaluing speech
An "overly positive and expansive" mood: euphoria, excitement, disinhibition
An absence of emotions
Aggressive, irritable or moody and unstable
Loss of interest and pleasure (no longer interested in anything, dropping out of school, etc.)
Signs of anxiety: nervousness, agitation, anxiety attacks, hypervigilance, etc.
Cognitive signs
Cognitive signs are also spottable, and here are some cues to spot them:
Speech issues (mutism, logorrhea, stuttering)
Attention and vigilance difficulties (concentration, attention)
Memory issues (repetitive memory loss, etc)
Thinking issues (slow/fast thinking and difficult to follow, self-deprecation, delusional thoughts disconnected from reality, etc)
Behavioural and relational signs
Behavioural signals are often more visible. Here are some examples:
Aggression, towards others or towards oneself, sometimes with physical acts (fights, self-harm)
Agitation or hyperactivity
Stereotypies and tics (repetition of movements or words, swaying, eye and hand tics, etc.)
Social withdrawal, withdrawal or isolation from loved ones
Loss of interest or indifference
A sudden drop in school performance or leisure activities
Alcohol, drug or other substances abuse
Somatic signs
Here are some somatic signs that may indicate your friend is in distress:
