BACK STORY:
A lot of my friends tend to think I'm some sort of therapist because I know my shit. It gets on my nerves from time to time because I'll be dealing with my OWN issues, and I've realized I NEED to be selfish from time to time. I ginuinely want to help people, I just can't when I'm a wreck myself. I figure get myself in check, then help other people out as much as possible.
I WANT people to come to me, but not all the time. I think that's pretty normal. I'm not a therapist. I'm not a doctor. I'm not even the best advice giver.

LIFE CHANGING STORY:
I was in a rut. I actually had taken a nap the other day where I ended up having one of the more terrifying nightmares that I've had in months. The night this all went down, I was trying to decide on whether to chug caffiene and stay up (because I was afraid to go to sleep), or to roll the dice and go to sleep.
I decided to roll the dice.
As soon as I lie down, I get a DING and I think "oh god what now?".
It was a friend I have casual conversations with, but hadn't talked to in a while.

I won't copy and paste the conversation even though I want to so bad. I'll just paraphrase it:
Him: Hey, how have you been? I haven't been well. I need to talk to you.
I think "ohhhh god no I can't right now". But I ask him what's up.

Basically, he was experiencing depression. He's never had any sort of mental problem. He's always been the most level-headed guy I've ever known. But he said for months he's been feeling this and that, all the symptoms of depression including phantom physical pain. He said it's just getting worse and worse and he can't stop thinking that "the only way out is death". He had ginuinely no clue about what was going on with him.

I wasn't in the best mood, but I took it seriously, extremely seriously since it was coming from THIS guy. I told him, with force (all caps and foul language) to "pack a bag and go to the hospital". I said "This is beyond ANYTHING I can say to you, get your ass to the hospital". I added "There's go to the hospital, get a doctor, get some help, feel better, live a life worth living. The alternative is to be one of these twats who just complain about how horrible things are and how they aren't getting better and they don't know why things aren't getting better because they aren't getting any help. Professional victims. You can be a huge person and DO SOMETHING about this, or be a professional victim". 
I talked him down, he went to bed, I worried for him. Just...never expected it from THIS guy, you know?

The next day I was on my way to taking a shower. I got the most WONDERFUL text. (Paraphrasing) "I decided to take your advice. I called into work sick. I have a bag packed. I'm in the hospital parking lot. Where do I go? The ER?"
OH MY GOD YES SOMEONE IS DOING SOMETHING FOR THEMSELVES
He had questions, I had answers.
But I still worried. Had I given him the right advice? Is he going to a place that is going to help? Is he going to be completely turned off by mental health care from a bad experience?

Two days later I get another text. He said he recieved information about his condition, medication that was already making him feel better, an after-care plan, all that he needed, now he's taking a rest at his parent's farm.

HE SAID: "Without your advice, I'd be dead. I wasn't fucking around when I was saying I was suicidal. THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY LIFE." It went on, but that was what got me. That was the thing that got me. I was in immediate tears.
 
All I could say back was "I didn't do anything. YOU did it. YOU said 'there's something wrong, I need help'. YOU make an extremely difficult decision. YOU did something about it. And I am so proud of you. Don't thank me. YOU DID IT ALL YOURSELF. And I'm so, so proud of you."

He kept saying that he couldn't thank me enough for (again he said) "saving my life. you showed me the path. i didn't know what to do, but you told me. Forcefully. And I needed that. You saved my life."


How would you guys feel about that? I honestly don't know how to take that. I honestly believe HE SAVED HIS LIFE. He did it all. And, he did. But how do I take "you saved my life?" Someone saying that and being 100% sincere?