Friend took an overdose

Counting_Pennies_2

Check to see if she has been referred to anyone for talking therapies.


If not most areas offer self referral for talking therapies, google it for your area.
Literally you just need to get the number off the internet, call them and you are referred.


Then be honest about the extent of the issue and actions to date

Northern78

Thanks for the advice and those that have shared personal experiences.

I've text her today just to see how she is, she still isn't ready to talk about it or at least not with me (I'm not taking it personally!) so I've just reminded her that I'm here if she needs me and encouraged her to seek the help she needs.

Thanks again.

RuthnJasper

Northern78 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice and those that have shared personal experiences.

I've text her today just to see how she is, she still isn't ready to talk about it or at least not with me (I'm not taking it personally!) so I've just reminded her that I'm here if she needs me and encouraged her to seek the help she needs.

Thanks again.

That is absolutely the best thing you can do. She knows that you are there for her and concerned, but you aren't "putting pressure" on her to seek support, which can be viewed by some with depression (it did for me, anyway, sometimes) as aggravating and a cause for lashing out at the person trying to help. x

firebird082

Just a thought on the non-confiding thing - my best friend went through a horrendous time at school (personal, family, mental health etc). She never told me anything about it. She later told me, once we were both adults and living away from 'home' that she didn't want me to know any of it, as I was her 'clean space' away from all the bad stuff, and that she really valued that I didn't spend all my time worrying about her, but that we could just enjoy being friends, away from the bad stuff. It sort of makes sense to me now, but at the time I remember being really hurt that she hadn't shared any of it with me when we were best friends.

It sounds like you are taking the right approach anyway - I hope things work out OK.

Fireflyaway

Just be there. Maybe don't even ask her why she did it or what is wrong etc. She might just want to forget it or deal with it alone and be grateful that you and her can do something together to take her mind off it.

Let her know you are there and she can talk to you whenever she wants. Arrange some time together doing something nice and that's probably all you can do.

My dad told me very casually ( as I think he didn't want to upset me) that he once was very close to taking his life. I had no idea. I see him several times a week and never once guessed something was wrong. So my point is - don't think you should have known or that you are a bad friend because she didn't tell you. Mental illness makes people behave in irrational ways sometimes.

Wonderlands

Maybe u can ask her before she talks to you, let her know she's the one others care abt. Every-time when I'm upset I wanna someone to console me for it's hard to talk to others initiative especially when comes to hard topic.