Helping Friends/Loved Ones Who Are Suicidal Or In Abusive Situations / Question
Published: December 18, 2003
Dear TeenHealthFX,
Hi, I have a friend who is 14. Recently her uncle died from cancer and she has been slashing her wrists. I try to help her but it never works. During Lesson I saw her writing something, I found it in the bin. It had pictures of her hanging herself from the bathroom window, flushing her head down the toilet, all sorts. She also wrote a poem about death saying, "What is this life I'm living?" I have told you this because she needs help desperately, before any thing happens. She keeps blaming herself for what happened. Please help her.
Signed: Friend Wrote Poem About Death
Dear Friend Wrote Poem About Death,
Your friend is lucky to have someone who is so concerned about her. It is important that you keep being a good friend to her, but she also needs professional help. This is not something you can help her with on your own.
It is important that you talk to a trusted adult about your concerns for your friend. We suggest you try telling your parents. If that does not seem like the best option, try confiding in a teacher or counselor at your school, or another grown-up relative who you trust. Keep in mind that even if it feels like you are betraying your friend, you are telling someone what is going on with her in the interest of helping her.
With the proper help, your friend can hopefully start to feel better, and you can feel better too.
If your friend is seriously considering suicide or becomes afraid of her impulses, she needs to seek help immediately. She can call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room. In northern New Jersey she can call the crisis hotline from Morristown Memorial hospital at 973-540-0100. Outside this area call the Suicide & Crisis Hotline, 1-800-999-9999, 24 hours, 7 days a week. If you are outside the U.S., click on the Samaritans to find the number for your local Samaritans branch.Signed: TeenHealthFX
One out of every six American women have been the victims of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. A total of 17.7 million women have been victims of these crimes. 
