You don’t need a psychology degree to spot a quiet crisis. Look for the person who makes jokes that are a little too dark. Or the friend who suddenly stops posting cat videos.
MAN JUMPS IN FRONT OF TRAIN! CLOSE CALL - YouTube
I have a buddy, Mark. He’s the life of the party, always laughing. Last year, he started saying, “If I didn’t have my dog, I wouldn’t care.” We all laughed. Nobody laughed when he ended up in the hospital.
People don’t always shout for help. They whisper. They hide their pain behind a “fine” and a forced smile. Today’s train jumper? He might have been whispering for months.
The power of a dumb question
You know what’s powerful? Asking a dumb question. Like, “Hey, you seem a bit off. Want to grab a burger and complain?” It’s not therapy. It’s just presence.
Or, even better, just sit next to them in silence. My sister once told me, “I don’t need solutions. I just need you to sit in the dumpster fire with me.” That’s gold.
We’re so scared of saying the wrong thing that we say nothing. And nothing is the scariest thing of all. A simple “I’m glad you’re still here” can change a whole day.
