Those of us who have endured trauma can be particularly intuitive; we have worn many a mask, and are experts at concealing our feelings. The body language we read in others is as clear to see as the sky above us…
When we listen to our gut instincts and observe people around us, all of us can be great mind-readers, and it’s a skill that, with practice, truly gets better and better. It’s helpful for everyone.

For example, since most of us text frequently, we’re pretty adept at spotting changes in a friend’s mood through their use of capitals, emojis, punctuation, etc.
If there are no emoji’s and your pal usually sends them, could they be angst, distracted, or stressed? If you are feeling unusual behavioural patterns, just from their text message style, then the best thing you can do is to give them a call, or ask if they are okay, or go and see them.
If possible, you could Facetime them. Once you’ve gone through the pleasantries, ask them when they are free to meet up. You’ll probably catch them by surprise, and at that point, the easiest thing to do is be truthful: “I’m just a bit worried about you, besides it’d be great to see you…”
Now, whatever excuses they may make, be strong. If the reason is lack of funds, then that’s easy – you can pop to their place, or perhaps treat them to coffee/lunch etc.
Once you are face to face, study everything. Encourage them to do the talking and subtly lower your tone and slow your pace a little if you tend to talk quickly.
Look at their appearance, do they look themselves? Watch their body language. Are they hiding behind something? Has their eye contact differed? Ask them how they are feeling. A good tip is to relate your hunch about how you guess they could be feeling to a news story, or something you can both relate to.
I’m sure most of you know how to do this and already do. Try to keep switched-on to your friends and family and look for subtle changes in them – make a point of observing others and helping in any small way that you can.