Hi Hmonk
This must be incredibly emotionally challenging for you, to witness your friend in such a distressed state.
I'm wondering if you can possibly see this as the alcohol leading your friend to lose their inhibition to the point of finally venting all their stress, through tears. Venting is good. You don't want to be holding dis-ease (unease/stress) in your body for unnecessarily long periods of time.
Personally, I try to imagine a breakdown as 'a breakdown of beliefs or thoughts'. For example, if you hold a lot of self limiting false beliefs such as 'Losers take money from Centrelink', 'I'm nothing if I don't have a job' or 'This stressor will never come to an end' then you're best breaking them down into individual points (so as not to be dealing with one giant overwhelming wave). Addressing them so as to let go of those false beliefs, is one form of managing mental well being. I know, much easier said than done. Sounds simple but some beliefs may take years to let go of whereas others might actually come with some sudden epiphany and take only minutes to let go of.
I believe one of the best management plans in life involves having someone say 'I'm here to listen. I'm here to help you manage'. Without this input, things can feel pretty lonely.
Remember to look after yourself too 🙂
You're a good friend, having reached out for advice and a way to manage
