I Need Help

by Taylor Harsha
(Montgomery, Alabama, USA)

Hi

my name is Taylor and I have a friend who is going through some tough times and I'm scared that he might commit suicide... I tried talking to him but he is only focusing on the negative...what should I do?

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Hello Taylor and thank you for reaching out to me.

If your friend seems depressed, or even suicidal, then you won't have much on an impact. He most likely needs some professional help.

What kind of symptoms are you seeing? Is he withdrawing and going into isolation? Has he lost interest in doing things he used to enjoy? Has his sleeping and/or eating habits changed at all? Does he fantasize or talk about ending his life?

If he has some of these symptoms, how long has he been having them? If it has been over 2 weeks then it could be serious.

A other thing to consider, has he gone through any kind of traumatic event recently?

There are so many things that go into diagnosing depression. I'd recommend that he speaks to a mental health professional that can evaluate him and make a diagnosis.

There is usually a local mental health clinic or facility that he can go to for an initial evaluation. From there they can determine the appropriate next steps.

Also, you might want to give him the number to a hotline If you go to this page there are hotlines for suicide and depression as well as some specific for youth and teens (not sure how old you are).

I truly hope this helps and that you are able to support him through this tough time. Hopefully, you can encourage him to get the professional support that he needs.

All the best,

Dana