There is an awesome video from a suicide helpline first responder at DefCon [0] on possible ways to speak to a friend who is feeling suicidal. Firstly to be cl

There is an awesome video from a suicide helpline first responder at DefCon [0] on possible ways to speak to a friend who is feeling suicidal. Firstly to be clear - this talk is not for talking to people who are literally about to commit suicide, it's for if you've got a friend who seems very depressed and might be heading down a path to suicide. Obviously this is more extreme than just depression, but it is a great talk about how geeks can build trust and talk about difficult subjects with their friends. It gives a framework that you can assess how depressed/at risk your friend is. I did know a friend who was very reclusive after getting fired from his first job after university. He had no job and did practically nothing for about 7 years despite lots of conversations with his friends to try and make progress. He eventually and slowly turned things round getting a job and is now happily married. So it can turn out for the better and it can also take a very long time. So be prepared to help for the long-term over years and don't expect one magic solution. One difference to your friend though is that the parents of my friend did not give up on him. [0]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHRMSDPfE5A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHRMSDPfE5A