How to help a friend?

[WakkoWannaBe]

[Warning, TL;DR amounts of text approaching, brace yourself for impact! Also, sorry if this sounds like it goes in the depression thread.]

[diaperwearntigger]

I personally don't think you can help someone who doesn't want to help themselves.

[Rockies Fan in Diapers]

Amen & well said Tigger. I agree 100%

[WakkoWannaBe]

Okay, cool. I think that I just got tired of being that listening ear, after 2 years of listening to him complain I'm kind of getting fed up with his negativity (he throws out some pretty sad/dark stuff).

[Dill_Pickle]

Wakko

This is definitely Restless Fox type material....now your friend here has spoken with his feet about what he wants, which is an ear to bend. Don't press, be gentle.

Take care of yourself here....you cannot help anyone else if you yourself are depressed, scared out of your wits, or hurt and reacting. Set and keep boundaries, make sure you have space for more healthy psychic things in your life.

This friend of yours clearly needs professional help. At a minimum, he can't move on from this unattainable gal in cyberspace, who almost certainly would think he is as creepy as you said. One way to put the situation is to tell him he needs to learn how to make this particular gal like him, but he should practice his charms on other people in real life. Another is to normalize the act of getting professional psychological help to him, mentioning your own shrink(I assume, taking a risk). Also, instead of asking what he is interested, get excited in his presence about different things YOU are interested in, like recent books, games, or movies, news, whatever. Invite him to participate if he shows interest.

[WakkoWannaBe]

Also, instead of asking what he is interested, get excited in his presence about different things YOU are interested in, like recent books, games, or movies, news, whatever. Invite him to participate if he shows interest.

[Dill_Pickle]

There are almost always nine ways to skin any given cat... And they aren't usually mutually exclusive, either. Good luck! Oh, and have him tag along sometime when you are meeting friends, too.