The Thousand-Yard Stare Is a Cry for Help—Here’s How to Break Free From It

The thousand-yard stare—its meaning goes deeper than looking out to a certain distance. The thing is, if you’ve seen a war movie or two, you’re likely to know what it is (even if you aren’t familiar with the term):

A soldier in shell shock, gazing blankly into the distance with their eyes wide and vacant. It’s the kind of look that feels like it could pierce right through you, yet the person is a million miles away.

This is what happened to Peter Lucas, a retired Marine who’s now a transfo...