If you have a friend going through a difficult time, or dealing with a difficult family situation, there are lots of things you can do to help him or her out. Here are some key tips.
- Be there. Offer to help, but don't be offended if your friend doesn't take you up on it right away. Offer periodically, but not enough to be annoying, and let him or her know you're just willing to listen if that's what they need.
- Don't judge. Your friend may not make the same decisions you'd make, and you might feel like the situation is his or her own fault. But your friend will sense those feelings, so remind yourself that everyone makes different choices.
- Provide support. Help your friend find support networks, and help support the decisions her or she makes.
- Find little ways to help. If you feel helpless, offer to do things that might seem really small, but really do matter. Bake a meal, offer to do yardwork, give a giftcard to a coffee shop, offer to baby-sit kids.
- Be consistent. Don't offer help once or twice and then drop off the planet. People in distress need long-term friends, so follow-up periodically, not just right away.
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