People Spiralling Out of Control

[Flavus Aquila]

How do you react, or feel, when a normally stable person/acquaintance/friend/relative/SO, or enemy, begins to spiral out of control?
(Emotionally, mentally, or physically/health-wise, etc....)

Ie. When they're heading for a crash/crisis/break/etc.

 

[Elis]

When you feel that someone is heading for a crash try to deescalate the situation. Hear them out, hug shit out if it feels appropriate. Drop pretense, take a step back and get some perspective. Let things slow down for a bit and understand that it might take some time. Personally I can be a bit of a sponge with emotions, but I want to say that most people are. These things work both ways, so be calm when people around you feel alarmed.

short term, long term is harder

 

[invisible]

This is exactly how I respond when anyone I know begins acting differently, or saying unexpected things. It's like that novel "The Yellow Wallpaper", or maybe "Jane Eyre" or "Wide Sargasso Sea". At first I'm like "I notice that you are acting differently", and then immediately I'm like "It's because you are losing your mind and going crazy". By this mechanism, I sort of "crazify" them in my mind. It makes it easier for me, because once I've done that I don't really have to listen to anything that they're saying. When they're talking, I just think "You're just saying that because you're 'crazy'". Then I think, "This is kind of good. Now I can potentially see myself as being helpful to a 'crazy' person."

 

[acd]

When you feel that someone is heading for a crash try to deescalate the situation. Hear them out, hug shit out if it feels appropriate. Drop pretense, take a step back and get some perspective. Let things slow down for a bit and understand that it might take some time. Personally I can be a bit of a sponge with emotions, but I want to say that most people are. These things work both ways, so be calm when people around you feel alarmed.

short term, long term is harder

This, pretty much.

 

[MrSquared]

It depends.

Generally when I'm witnessing a "tailspin" of sorts I do feel bad for the person. I wonder why. But I also consider their circumstances and if and/or how I could learn from their experience.

I'm a selfish individual. So after the initial "what can I do" fades... It's usually about me. And how I hope to avoid such an outcome.

#troof