Sparkle1984
03-09-15, 22:54
One of my best friends is currently suffering from severe anxiety and depression, and I feel that I can't support her as much as I'd like. She first confided in me in spring/summer last year. I have tried my best to support her but it doesn't seem like she's getting any better. She has tried 3 medications so far, none of which have worked, and attended therapy and counselling, but it seems like she's getting worse. She has been off work since about June last year. In March this year she was let go from her job completely due to long-term incapacity to work.
Up until last year, we often used to go out together - having meals out with our group of friends and going on coach trips to various places of interest. But this year, she has become very withdrawn - she often doesn't reply to texts from myself and other friends (or she might take several days to reply), and she hasn't been out with us for several months. I think she has become agoraphobic - she said that she feels very panicky/anxious when going out anywhere without her parents or sister. Yesterday she said that she has been emailing the Samaritans almost every day as she's been going through an extra rough patch in the last few weeks.
She doesn't like to talk about her deepest feelings very much - she is very shy and has said she is afraid/embarrassed that she might burst into tears if she talked about her problems. She has always been a very private person, but she has admitted that she sometimes gets suicidal thoughts and she did go through a period of self-harm when she was a teenager.
So I am concerned about her wellbeing, but at the same time I don't feel like I can support her as much as I'd like to. My friend has admitted that she can often spend whole days at home in tears, and it's upsetting for me to know she's suffering in this way. She has always been a very kind person and we've known each other since starting high school together 20 years ago!
I hope I'm not bothering her by sending her text messages asking how she's feeling. I'm worried about her and and I'm concerned that she might end up harming herself if things get much worse - I'd be devastated if anything happened to her. She still lives at home with her parents, so at least they can keep an eye on her, but they can't be around all the time due to work etc. I'm still going through anxiety myself (my latest episode started about 4 months ago), and I miss how things were last year, when we were both still feeling OK.
As my friend's condition is a lot more severe than my own, I was just wondering if anyone had any advice on how I can help her through this?
Up until last year, we often used to go out together - having meals out with our group of friends and going on coach trips to various places of interest. But this year, she has become very withdrawn - she often doesn't reply to texts from myself and other friends (or she might take several days to reply), and she hasn't been out with us for several months. I think she has become agoraphobic - she said that she feels very panicky/anxious when going out anywhere without her parents or sister. Yesterday she said that she has been emailing the Samaritans almost every day as she's been going through an extra rough patch in the last few weeks.
She doesn't like to talk about her deepest feelings very much - she is very shy and has said she is afraid/embarrassed that she might burst into tears if she talked about her problems. She has always been a very private person, but she has admitted that she sometimes gets suicidal thoughts and she did go through a period of self-harm when she was a teenager.
So I am concerned about her wellbeing, but at the same time I don't feel like I can support her as much as I'd like to. My friend has admitted that she can often spend whole days at home in tears, and it's upsetting for me to know she's suffering in this way. She has always been a very kind person and we've known each other since starting high school together 20 years ago!
I hope I'm not bothering her by sending her text messages asking how she's feeling. I'm worried about her and and I'm concerned that she might end up harming herself if things get much worse - I'd be devastated if anything happened to her. She still lives at home with her parents, so at least they can keep an eye on her, but they can't be around all the time due to work etc. I'm still going through anxiety myself (my latest episode started about 4 months ago), and I miss how things were last year, when we were both still feeling OK.
As my friend's condition is a lot more severe than my own, I was just wondering if anyone had any advice on how I can help her through this?