The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word TORTURED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
T
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More clues leading to the result TORTURED
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "distressed" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case distressed = tortured.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does TORTURED mean?
TORTURED verb- To intentionally inflict severe pain or suffering on (someone).
- Having been subjected to torture, mental or physical.
- Involving suffering and difficulty.
- Of literature, burdened by unnecessary complexity, obfuscation, abstruseness, etc.