The 1000-Yard Stare: What It Means & Where It Comes From

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What does having a "1000-yard stare" mean for your mind and body?

Co-authored by George Sachs, PsyD and Dev Murphy, MA

Last Updated: December 2, 2024 Fact Checked

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What is the 1000-yard stare?

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Where did the term come from?

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Causes

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1000-Yard Stare vs. Zoning Out

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Seeking Help

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1000-Yard Stare Meme

When we undergo a traumatic situation, the trauma may leave its marks on us, but those marks are often invisible to others. However, the 1000-yard stare (also sometimes called the 2000-yard stare) is one common outward sign someone has experienced a traumatic event. Though the term is usually associated with war veterans, it can be applied to anyone who has experienced a traumatic event or who suffers from specific mental health conditions. Keep reading to learn more about the 1000-yard stare, including how to identify it, what causes it, and how to get treatment for dissociation, with advice from Licensed Psychologist George Sachs.

1000-Yard Stare Meaning at a Glance

The 1000-yard stare describes the blank, unfocused gaze of someone experiencing dissociation because of acute stress or traumatic events. Originally used to describe war combatants and veterans with PTSD after WWII, it is now applied to anyone (including non-veterans) who demonstrated the stare due to trauma.

Section 1 of 6:

What is the 1000-yard stare?

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A 1000-yard stare is the blank gaze of someone dissociating from trauma. The phrase describes the unfocused or fatigued look a person who has experienced trauma or acute stress—for instance, due to military combat—might have. They may seem like they're staring into space, are deep in thought, and not paying attention to the world around them.^{[1]
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Research source} People exhibiting the 1000-yard stare may also show other symptoms of dissociation, like:^{[2]
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- They may have an unfocused or blank expression on their face.
- They might seem “zoned out” and unaware of what’s going on around them.
- They may not respond to what you’re doing or saying and may seem uninterested.

Section 2 of 6:

Where did the term "1000-Yard stare" come from?

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The term comes from the name of a 1945 Tom Lea painting of a Marine. World War II correspondent Lea’s painting of an anonymous Marine at the Battle of Peleliu, titled Marines Call It That 2000-Yard Stare, appeared in Life magazine in 1945. In the painting, the Marine stands in front of a charred battleground and stares blankly ahead. Though the piece’s title didn’t appear in the magazine, the painting’s publication popularized the phrase “2000-yard stare,” which later became better-known as the “1000-yard stare.”
- Lea based his painting on a real Marine, about whom he said: “He left the States 31 months ago. He was wounded in his first campaign…. Two-thirds of his company has been killed or wounded. He will return to attack this morning. How much can a human being endure?”^{[3]
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- The term “1000-yard stare” became synonymous with combat shock or shell shock in military personnel. “The look in their eyes,” former Marine Corporal Joe Houle described it, “was like the life was sucked out of them…. After I lost my first friend, I felt it was best to be detached.”^{[4]
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- Over the decades, the term grew to encompass not just military personnel with PTSD, but anyone who struggles with dissociation.

Section 3 of 6:

What causes the 1000-yard stare?

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Dissociation from a traumatic experience You may have heard of “fight or flight”—the body’s automatic responses to intense stress. Dissociation is another stress response—a psychological, rather than physical, one—and involves the person feeling detached from themselves and the world around them as a means of surviving and coping with a traumatic situation, such as war, a car accident, or assault.^{[5]
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- While the term is often applied to adults, children who undergo traumatic, scary, or overwhelming experiences may dissociate to cope with what's happening. They may appear numb, withdraw from others, or even become physically ill.^{[6]
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  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  
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- Dissociation in children is natural to an extent, but if your child experiences frequent or severe dissociation, reach out to their doctor to discuss possible treatment.
You may be more likely to experience dissociation if you suffer from specific psychological conditions. These include acute stress disorder, borderline personality disorder (BPD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and others. Treating an underlying mental health or psychological condition can help manage dissociation symptoms, including a 1000-yard stare.

Section 4 of 6:

1000-Yard Stare vs. Zoning Out

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Zoning out on occasion is natural and typically not unhealthy. Zoning out is a mild form of dissociation akin to daydreaming, while the 1000-yard stare is linked to more severe dissociation as a means of coping with stress. Everyone zones out sometimes, especially when bored, stressed, going through a difficult time, or sleep-deprived. But if you find yourself zoning out constantly to the point it's affecting your daily life, it's worth seeing a doctor to ensure you aren't suffering from an underlying condition that's causing you to dissociate.
- Zoning out may be more commonly linked to certain mental health conditions, including Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).^{[7]
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  Cleveland Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  
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Section 5 of 6:

Treating Dissociation & the 1,000-Yard Stare

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Speak to a mental health professional to get a diagnosis. Though the 1000-yard stare isn’t a diagnosable medical term, dissociation is, and it's treatable. If you're struggling with dissociation, discuss your symptoms with a doctor in order to see what might be causing the symptoms and to obtain a formal diagnosis so that you can take steps to combat dissociation and live your life in peace.^{[8]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source} Diagnosis may include:
- A physical exam, in which your doctor examines you, discusses your symptoms, and reviews your personal history. They may have you take specific tests to rule out conditions that may cause symptoms like memory loss and feeling separate from reality—for instance, a head injury, certain brain diseases, lack of sleep, and drug or alcohol use.
- A mental health exam, in which your doctor talks with you about your feelings, thoughts, behavior, and symptoms.
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Unpack what's causing you to dissociate with a therapist. The primary treatment for dissociative disorders is talk therapy or psychotherapy.^{[9]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source} “The therapist will teach you different ways to manage the anxiety and the trauma episodes with CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) and meditation and mindfulness,” Sachs says. The therapy will involve “unpacking the trauma again in the safety of the therapist's office over time,” Sachs says. “When you re-expose yourself to the trauma over and over, your body doesn't react to it in the same way because it becomes boring.”
- Sachs recommends finding a therapist with training or experience working with clients with PTSD.
- He also encourages people to “find a therapist who you really like…. The research shows if you like your therapist, you're going to get better.” He adds that it “seems obvious,” but many people will pick a therapist who’s “the best in the field” or who “wrote a book,” but they don't like them, and so the therapy fails. “You really need to feel comfortable and safe,” he says.
- Your doctor may also prescribe antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, or antipsychotic medications. There are no medicines that specifically treat dissociation, but these medications may help treat the mental health disorders that lead to dissociation or the 1000-yard stare.
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George Sachs, PsyD
Licensed Psychologist
George Sachs is a Licensed Psychologist and the Owner of Sachs Center based in New York, New York. With over ten years of experience, Dr. Sachs specializes in treating ADD/ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders in children, teens, and adults. He holds a BS in Psychology from Emory University. Dr. Sachs earned his Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, Chicago. He completed his clinical training in Chicago at Cook County Hospital, Mt. Sinai Hospital, and the Child Study Center. Dr. Sachs completed his internship and postdoctoral work at the Children’s Institute in Los Angeles, where he supervised and trained therapists in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT). He has been trained as a Gestalt Therapist and certified by the Gestalt Associates Training Program of Los Angeles. Dr. Sachs is the author of The Adult ADD Solution, Helping the Traumatized Child, and Helping Your Husband with Adult ADD. He has appeared on the Huffington Post, NBC Nightly News, CBS, and WPIX discussing his holistic approach to ADD/ADHD treatment.

George Sachs, PsyD
Licensed Psychologist

Unpacking your trauma with your therapist can help you overcome it. Most of the time, we hide and don't share our trauma, and it just lives in our body, and our minds. But when you share it in the safe space of a therapist's office, you're kind of cleansing yourself of it.

Section 6 of 6:

1000-Yard Stare Meme

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Lea’s painting was meme-ified in the early 2010s. Marines Call It the 2000-Yard Stare went viral on the internet as a reaction meme to portray traumatization and fear. It began on Reddit in 2014, but didn’t gain widespread popularity until the early 2020s.^{[10]
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- The meme has been used facetiously to express disappointment or fear—for example, in November 2022, the “Kanye West lyrics posted randomly” Facebook page posted the image with a caption that read, “When that one song you love more than yourself reaches tiktok.”
- Variations on the 1000-yard stare meme include the Kurt Angle 1000-Yard Stare and the Lorax 1000-Yard Stare.