Advice on suicidal thoughts & self-harming

[JuniorxMyxLove]

I'm not deluding myself into thinking that I can single-handedly save him, or fix all of his problems. I'm just trying to help him hold on until his home life improves, or he gets help, or he pulls himself out of the hole he's currently falling into.

I am SO glad that he trusts me enough to come to me. At the same time, I'm afraid that if I tell him he needs professional help, he'll shut me out and I won't know what/how he's doing, if that makes sense.

I know that at least one adult knows that he's cutting and my friend E mentioned that she'd gone to the counselors. How much she's told them, I'm not sure. Hopefully things with the newspaper calm down to a point that I get a chance to speak with her and figure out what she's doing about it all, because she's known for a few months. I might just drag her out to my car tomorrow at lunch so we can talk privately without a bunch of nosy journalists listening in, haha.

[Karen]

I agree that getting a professional involved is the best thing you can do for him right now. Stress, when you talk with him, that depression is a serious illness, and just like you wouldn't expect to recover from, say, cancer without help from a doctor, neither should you expect to just "pull yourself out' of depression without one, too. Stress that you and his other friends love him, and do not want him to hurt himself, and that includes killing himself, that you need him in your lives and that things will get better eventually.

[Alysser]

I'm assuming, he doesn't have his parents to talk to, and you can't go talk to them considering his home life is one of the major elements causing all this.

Personally, I think alot school officials do jack sh*t for kids most of the time. Not to be mean, but with all I've experienced in my 18 years in a public school system, I've never had one guidance counselor I would've trusted. I've dealt with bullying before and I would've never gone to one for that either. The one in my MIDDLE school, oh don't even get me started... I'm KNOW there are some(maybe even alot) exceptions, I am KNOW there are amazing teachers you could go to as well, I had 4 that I trusted with my life. But then again, their jobs are to report it to the counselors.

Anyway, sorry for my little off-topic rant, but it's obvious this kid needs professional help and I'm glad you realize this. I am glad to that he has someone to talk to for now as well. That helps all the way of course. But is there any way he'd call a hotline first? He seems very reluctant to tell people about this, so maybe an anonymous hotline could help him.

[pomtzu]

I don't mean to sound cold, but don't be his crutch. What if he should text you - you are unavailable to get back to him - and then he harms himself??? That's putting a lot on your shoulders, and it's not really fair to you, even tho you want to try to help. Would you feel guilty or responsible if he did something to himself because you weren't available?? Think about it. I really think that you are taking on way too much responsibility, and it could turn around and bite you in the butt. Be his friend and be supportive and steer him in the right direction and don't wait for his home life to improve or for him to pull himself out of this funk, because that's not likely to happen.