About 1,400 teenagers attempt suicide every day. It’s good that you’re taking this seriously and want to help your friend. Whenever someone talks about wanting to hurt themselves, it should be taken seriously. Here are some things you can do, in this order:

1. Tell your friend that you care and that you want to help. Tell him/her that you’d be sad and hurt if he or she weren’t around anymore and that you want to support him/her in getting help.

2. Tell your friend to call 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433), or call it yourself, with your friend right there. This is a 24-hour, free hotline, staffed by trained professionals. Just making the call might put your friend on the road to recovery. You can also call the hotline yourself and ask for more suggestions on how to help your friend.

3. Talk with your friend’s parent(s) or guardian(s). If your friend refuses to get help, you have to tell your friend’s parent(s)/guardian(s) or another trusted adult. This is the true test of friendship. Even though you might worry that your friend will get mad, in the end, it is better to have told someone and gotten your friend help.

4. Suggest that your friend see a counselor or therapist. You have a very special place in your friend’s life; that’s obvious because he or she told you something very personal. You may feel tempted keep this to yourself because you think you can handle it. Please don’t try to be a therapist to your friend. Only trained counselors or therapists have the best tools to help someone who’s thinking of hurting themselves. So, encourage your friend to get help. Offer to go to the first appointment with your friend to show your support.

5. Call 911. If you get a call from a friend who says they have taken some pills, or who says they have a plan to kill themselves, you need to consider it an emergency. Call 911 and tell them your friend’s location and anything else you know about the situation. You just might save your friend’s life.

It’s difficult to hear that someone you care about is thinking about hurting themselves. Realize that you can’t take responsibility for another person’s depression. We all make decisions for ourselves. If you take the steps outlined above, you’ll have done everything you can to help your friend. Make sure you get support for yourself as well because having a friend who is going through this can be difficult too.