He literally vanishes from Discord for five days straight, zero replies, and then pings me at 2 AM with 'are you awake? I feel so broken lately'. I’m sick of being treated like a late-night crisis hotline, but if I don’t answer, he’ll probably just disappear completely. Why do people do this, and do I actually have to put up with it to keep talking to him?

You don’t have to put up with it, and playing midnight therapist won't turn this into a real relationship anyway. People pull this move because it’s intimacy on cheat mode. Dropping heavy, emotional confessions in the middle of the night feels intense and special, but it requires zero daytime accountability. He gets fast comfort and your undivided attention, then retreats before having to ask how your day went. It feels personal to you, but to him, it’s mostly convenient. Break the pattern without drama. Next time that late ping lights up your screen, don’t open it. Sleep. Text back the next afternoon: "Hey, saw this late. Sounded rough—hope you're doing better today." See what happens when you only offer daytime energy. If he values *you*, he’ll talk in the daylight. If he only wanted an emotional vending machine, he’ll fade out—and save you from wasting your sleep on someone who only remembers you exist when the lights are off.