{"id":253,"date":"2024-12-05T11:26:36","date_gmt":"2024-12-05T16:26:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/?page_id=253"},"modified":"2026-02-19T12:42:52","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T17:42:52","slug":"students","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/mental-health\/resources-to-help-others\/students\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping someone in distress: A Guide for Students"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4>Learn how you can help another student in a caring and nonjudgmental way.<\/h4>\n<p>Students often go to each other for support and advice for a variety of concerns. If you&#8217;re worried about a friend or classmate, you can help. You don\u2019t need to be a counselor to make a difference \u2014 showing care and knowing where to find help can go a long way.<\/p>\n<h3>Signs a student might be struggling<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s not always easy to know when someone needs support, but here are some signs to look for:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Feeling very sad, hopeless, or overwhelmed<\/li>\n<li>Withdrawing from friends or skipping classes<\/li>\n<li>Talking about wanting to give up<\/li>\n<li>Changes in sleep, eating, or personal hygiene<\/li>\n<li>Use of alcohol or drugs to cope<\/li>\n<li>Acting out of character or being more irritable<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What you can do<\/h3>\n<p>If you notice something that worries you, trust your instincts. Here\u2019s how you can help:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reach out<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find a comfortable and private space<\/li>\n<li>Use kind, nonjudgmental language<\/li>\n<li>Say what you\u2019ve noticed, like \u201cI\u2019ve seen you\u2019ve been missing class and seem really down lately.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Listen and offer support<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Let them talk \u2014 just being there helps<\/li>\n<li>Avoid trying to \u201cfix\u201d the problem or give advice<\/li>\n<li>Focus on listening without judgment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Encourage them to get help<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>There are many support options for students on campus. Think about providing a couple of resources to get them started<\/li>\n<li>Normalize seeking help<\/li>\n<li>If they say no, that\u2019s okay \u2014 keep checking in and let them know you care<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Supportive Resources<\/h3>\n<p>There are many different support options for students on campus. Think about providing a couple of options to the person you\u2019re helping. Two options available through SHS include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Therapy and psychiatry appointments, support groups, 24\/7 emergency services for mental health crises. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/mental-health\/\">Learn more about mental health services.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Support for those who have experienced interpersonal violence and other types of trauma. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/survivor-support\/\">Learn more about survivor support services.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All conversations at an SHS office are strictly confidential. The only exception is in situations of life-threatening emergency, when the most important consideration is ensuring the person\u2019s safety. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/about-us\/how-care-works\/confidentiality\/\">Read more about our confidentiality policy.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Support is also available off campus:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>988: Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Call, text, or chat for support with local resources and crisis situations<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nami.org\/\">NAMI- National Alliance on Mental Illness<\/a>: Mental Health resource directory and peer support services available<\/li>\n<li>A primary care provider or another doctor you are already seeing may be able to provide additional mental health support options<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\" bu-callout aligncenter\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/shs\/files\/2025\/05\/Terriers-Connect-636x611.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"174\" height=\"167\" class=\"wp-image-1516 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/files\/2025\/05\/Terriers-Connect-636x611.png 636w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/files\/2025\/05\/Terriers-Connect-1024x984.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/files\/2025\/05\/Terriers-Connect-768x738.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/files\/2025\/05\/Terriers-Connect-1536x1476.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/files\/2025\/05\/Terriers-Connect.png 1694w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 174px) 100vw, 174px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Terriers Connect Suicide Prevention Training<\/h3>\n<p>Learn how to support a student who is struggling and refer to mental health resources on campus. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/mental-health\/resources-to-help-others\/terriers-connect\/\">Find more information here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how you can help another student in a caring and nonjudgmental way. Students often go to each other for support and advice for a variety of concerns. If you&#8217;re worried about a friend or classmate, you can help. You don\u2019t need to be a counselor to make a difference \u2014 showing care and knowing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1301,"featured_media":0,"parent":247,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/253"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1301"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/253\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1855,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/253\/revisions\/1855"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/shs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}