Most adults don’t reach mid-life without learning how to cope. They learn how to manage pressure, meet expectations, and keep going when things are difficult. Often, they do this quietly and competently. They become reliable. Capable. The person others lean on in times of need. From the outside, life looks stable. Functional. Often even successful. What’s easier to miss is the internal cost of keeping things that way. Not everyone who copes well feels distressed. Many people