Concerned About A Friend
If you find yourself concerned about a friend, consider the following:
- Listen carefully: Give them your full attention and really try to help them feel understood. Sometimes someone just needs to know that others care and are willing to sit down and hear them out. You don't even have to always have advice for them. Sometimes simply giving them your time and full attention will help them to process what they are going through. Think about it from your perspective too. Sometimes you just want someone who will listen to you.
- Help them to identify resources: This can be people or information. If they seem stuck about a problem, consider helping them to find out some helpful information about the topic. More importantly, help them identify the people they have in their lives who can help support them. Chances are that you may be one of those people if they are opening up to you. If they have trouble identifying people, help them think of who makes them feel good about themselves.
- Consider when to get help: If you are concerned about a friend's safety, you need to get help from an adult. You may first try and get your friend to go speak to someone on their own, however, if they are unwilling to do so, you may need to act on their behalf. This can be very difficult, as your friend might try and make you promise not to tell anyone. However, it is important you let an adult know. In the big picture, it's much better to deal with your friend being a bit angry with you than it is dealing with something possibly happening to them. Also, even if they are angry, they will likely be grateful that you were willing to seek help to make sure they're okay. Asking for help can be hard, and they may appreciate you taking that initial step for them.