27 People Share 'Cry For Help' Signs That Aren't So Obvious

Redditor IncessantlyBored shared that they started the thread on r/AskReddit as a way to educate themselves about depression. "I don’t consider myself well-educated on what depression looks like and/or red flags for mental illness issues, so I wanted to see what other people had to say."

What's more, the redditor also had a very personal reason for wanting to know what the non-obvious signs of depression are. "I also had a coworker in 2018 who did a no-call no-show one day, and we found out she had taken her own life. I was completely shocked. I had no idea she was struggling with depression. But I’m sure there were signs if I had known what to look for. The day I posted my question, we had another no-call no-show at work, and I couldn’t help but remember my coworker in 2018," they were candid about the inspiration behind their thread.

IncessantlyBored said that they had no idea that their question would get so much attention online. "I posted it one night and when I woke up the next day, it was on the front page. It currently has over 7,000 comments. The question clearly resonated with a lot of people either feeling like they were exhibiting cries for help or knowing someone who is. As we emerge in the post-pandemic world, it’s helpful to know the warning signs of what to look for so that we can catch them in the people around us and hopefully get them the help they need," they shared with Bored Panda.

In the redditor's opinion, education and awareness both go a long way in teaching us how to react when we realize that someone from our social circle is in need of our help. "Many people may be struggling without knowing how to tell someone or how to get out of their rut. Having a friend or family member who can recognize the pain and can reach out and offer to help could be the first step on a journey to improvement," IncessantlyBored said.

The redditor was very glad that their question had such a powerful impact and started up so many discussions. "It may have also made some people realize that maybe they don’t have to do the struggle alone, and that there are others out there who care. I learned a lot from the answers to my question, and I will definitely be more aware around my friends, family, and coworkers. Who knows—maybe the heightened awareness will save someone’s life."

The insightful thread resonated with a lot of people. The redditor’s post got more than 37.4k upvotes and 175 awards in 2 days. It was the top awarded post on r/AskReddit and on the front page of Reddit at the time of writing.

What IncessantlyBored showed us is that some people might feel too scared or ashamed to ask for help outright; meanwhile, the average person might not pick up on some of these subtle signs. It takes a keen eye to spot these cues and behaviors.

Earlier, I had a chat about feelings of isolation and depression with Emma Morton from the University of British Columbia. Emma explained to Bored Panda in an earlier interview that it’s incredibly important that you seek professional help if you’re having suicidal thoughts and aren’t sure if you can keep yourself from harm.

“Like any other health crisis, there may be times when you need the support of a doctor or health professional to navigate the situation safely,” she said.

“However, it can be hard to know what to do when you are in the middle of overwhelming and distressing thoughts, so coming up with a safety plan ahead of time with important phone numbers (such as a crisis hotline or trusted friend), ways to keep the environment safe (e.g., removing means of suicide or substances that can increase your risk like alcohol), and strategies that can help distract or soothe you is important,” Emma detailed what we should do in times of crisis.

Emma suggested that keeping an actual ‘hope box’ can help soothe us during times of distress. Inside the box, you can put things that will help calm you down or distract you. Another thing that you can add is a list of reasons to keep living. What’s more, thinking about how you’d help your friends through depression can also give you reasons to keep going.

“In the long run, working with a psychologist or other mental health professionals to identify healthy ways to cope with stress and develop more flexible and self-compassionate thought patterns is key to maintaining good mental health,” Emma told Bored Panda.