I’m Worried About A Friend

Noticed a change in a friend and are worried about them? What an awesome human you are to have your friend’s back. 

There’s lots of options of what to do now:

  • Come and talk to one of the school psychologists. You do not have to name the friend, and our conversations are confidential. We can offer advice about where to from here. If you’d rather not talk to us, think about whether there is another trusted adult you could ask, like a fave teacher, older sibling or family friend. 
  • Ask your friend if they are okay. Let them know you’ve noticed a change. If they open up to you, just listen and validate their feelings (ie, let them know their feelings make sense and are not ‘silly’). You don’t have to have the answers or fix their problems. If they don’t open up, that is okay. Just remind them you are here if they change their mind. There are more tips on having those difficult conversations here. 
  • Have a look at specific resources. There is more advice for supporting a friend here and here.
  • Take care of yourself. It’s a special but draining job to support a friend who is struggling. Make sure you look after yourself, too. That might mean establishing times when you’re not available to your friend (so you can have a break), or unloading the burden to a trusted adult.

If you are concerned that a friend or someone you love may have an eating disorder, check this out. 
If you are supporting a friend or loved one who is experiencing grief, check out the tips here.

Have a friend or family member with mental illness and not sure what to do? There are some great moderated chat forums and info here. 

Some things are serious, and we strongly suggest talking to an adult. If you are worried about the safety of your friend because you think they might be at risk from themselves (eg self-harming) or someone else, please tell someone so we can keep your friend safe (plus, that is a huge load for you to carry and we want to care for you). 

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