Hello Warrawo,

I can really hear how much you care for your friend and how distressing it is to see them suffering. I would guess it’s really scary for you to know your friend is considering suicide, and that being so far away leaves you feeling powerless to help. It sounds as if you have been trying lots of different ways to help your friend find reasons to live, and that it breaks your heart to hear that after all the hope you’ve tried to show them they still want to die.

You mentioned your friend lives abroad; you might try encouraging them to get in contact with their local crisis line if they seem to want someone to talk to or want to connect to resources in their area. You can also let your friend know about our forum here at youthspace, if you think they might be open to talking with us or if online is easier for them than phone.

It seems as though you’re feeling stuck on what you can do yourself, and I wonder if this website: http://www.fivealive.us/ might be useful to check out. It has information about what to do if someone you know is feeling suicidal.

If you get the sense your friend is going to act on their thoughts of suicide, we really encourage that you call emergency services (like 9-1-1) in their area if their life is at risk.

I’d imagine this is a really stressful and worrying time for you and I am glad you reached out to us. Keep in touch about how things are going

-The support team