Support for a friend in in-patient facility
Hey, one of my friends incurrentlyin an in-patientfacilityfor depression, self- injury, sucidal thoughtsand the like. She's been in one for a while and recently got in contact with me and gave me her number so i could be in contact with her while she is in the facility. I'm sort of looking for advice on how to support her and be the best sort of friend i can be for her. I know that by nature if she's in a facility she has alot of support from the people there - but what can i do to be the best friend for her as well as make her feel like it was the correctdecisionto tell me andabouthercontact info. (understandably, its not something youreally publicize)
Hello!
It's a great thing that you care for your friend and want to help them. However, you might end up feeling pressured by it: wanting to do and say the right things in order to be useful for the specific person. Keep in mind that they already have specialized help for their problems, what they simply need is support.
A lot of people dealing with depression live under the feeling that they're alone or misunderstood. Professional involvement helps them understand their problem and learn how to cope with it, yet in my personal view the most important thing is the support of a friend. Knowing they can rely on someone that'll always be there for them will maintain the motivation and optimism. Don't worry too much about what to do - just letting them know you're there is the greatest help. :)
I appreciate that.
I know that, I just wanted to make sure theres nothing as i friend i should keep in mind
Thanks so much.
It's great that you want to support your friend. Providing care to someone who is going through a very difficult situation is definitely not easy. The best thing you can do is be understanding and empathetic. It won't always be easy, but being there to support her in that fashion is very important so that she has a diverse support network from professionals to friends as each relationship provides a different type of support.
It may be helpful for you to sign on as a guest or member to talk with a listener about this. It's important to make sure you are taking care of your needs as well, and we always recommend that listeners sign on with their guest/member accounts to seek support so they can get the proper attention and care they deserve!
Ido hope the best for you and your friend!
When I was inpatient at the trauma program I was in, I just needed someone to know, and needed to connect really. All day long we were in group therapy and individual therapy. At certain points however, there was a bit of downtime that allowed for phone time. That's when I wanted to talk about something else.. even if it was the weather. Sometimes I wanted to share what had happened, sometimes I just needed to know someone cared that I was there. My one friend called twice a week. I looked forward to those calls. She always asked how I was doing, then spent the rest of the time laughing together. :) We never had long to talk, so honestly, it was a hurried conversation. Phone time was split between patients, like 10 mins a person or something. So we had to talk fast.
