The Four States of Distress: how to comfort someone when something bad happens to them
Care Work Library | Finding Caregiver Support | For Friends & Family

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July 29, 2020

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clearer thinking | distress | giving advice | how to comfort someone | kat woods | making someone feel better | problem solving | spencer greenberg

Human hand helps a sad lonely woman to get rid of depression. A young unhappy girl sits and hugs her knees. The concept of support and care for people under stress. Vector illustration in flat style

When a friend or loved one has something bad happen to them, what should you do to help them feel better? This question can be difficult to answer because people want different things at different times: empathy, problem-solving, optimism, distraction, and so on.

We propose that there are four general states that a person may be in when something bad happens, and that knowing which of these states they are in can help you figure out how you can best comfort them.

Read more on Clearer Thinking.

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