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And her family is furious with me.
MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide, abuse, alcoholism, blood, and self harm.
My best friend, who is in her mid-twenties, has high functioning autism, and suffers from extreme low body weight, couldn't live with her abusive, alcoholic mother anymore. After a series of moves she wound up moving to another state to live with her mother's identical twin sister, who is also abusive. My friend also lives near her aunt's daughter and her family.
She texted me and another friend tonight to tell us she didn't want to live there anymore (as I well knew) and that she didn't want to live at all. I contacted her as soon as I could and she apologized for what she had done. I asked her what she did, and she explained that she opened an artery with a razor blade.
I asked her to call 911. She refused, saying the wound closed up, and that she was afraid that her aunt would "yell" at her. I told her not to worry about any of that and called 911 and had them transfer me to her local emergency services.
Emergency services came and got her, and the world's most dysfunctional family now hates me. They contacted me to say things like, "They arrested [my friend]!" and "Stay the f*** away from my cousin."
I was given a tracking number. I called the police department back and my friend most definitely was not arrested. She was taken to a local hospital; I know which one and have their number.
Now I have no idea what to do. I let several other close friends know what was going on. The only one awake right now and who knows about this terrified me by wondering if her family might now be able to forcibly keep her in their custody.
My friend has self-harmed many times before, always triggered by her family's constant dysfunction. They're going to try to cut off contact with me, and possibly the rest of her supportive friends. I fear they're going to kill her.
I'm not an especially functional person myself, and I feel like I'm about to fall to pieces. Any informed or experienced thoughts on this situation would be helpful.
MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide, abuse, alcoholism, blood, and self harm.
My best friend, who is in her mid-twenties, has high functioning autism, and suffers from extreme low body weight, couldn't live with her abusive, alcoholic mother anymore. After a series of moves she wound up moving to another state to live with her mother's identical twin sister, who is also abusive. My friend also lives near her aunt's daughter and her family.
She texted me and another friend tonight to tell us she didn't want to live there anymore (as I well knew) and that she didn't want to live at all. I contacted her as soon as I could and she apologized for what she had done. I asked her what she did, and she explained that she opened an artery with a razor blade.
I asked her to call 911. She refused, saying the wound closed up, and that she was afraid that her aunt would "yell" at her. I told her not to worry about any of that and called 911 and had them transfer me to her local emergency services.
Emergency services came and got her, and the world's most dysfunctional family now hates me. They contacted me to say things like, "They arrested [my friend]!" and "Stay the f*** away from my cousin."
I was given a tracking number. I called the police department back and my friend most definitely was not arrested. She was taken to a local hospital; I know which one and have their number.
Now I have no idea what to do. I let several other close friends know what was going on. The only one awake right now and who knows about this terrified me by wondering if her family might now be able to forcibly keep her in their custody.
My friend has self-harmed many times before, always triggered by her family's constant dysfunction. They're going to try to cut off contact with me, and possibly the rest of her supportive friends. I fear they're going to kill her.
I'm not an especially functional person myself, and I feel like I'm about to fall to pieces. Any informed or experienced thoughts on this situation would be helpful.
In future, if someone is threatening suicide, I will call a hotline. But if someone has already hurt themselves, and no one can get them to a hospital, there is only one choice, I'm afraid.
Her family sounds insane. Can you talk to a social worker or someone about her abusive family and let them know what is happening? Like, a social worker at the hospital maybe?