Dear Emily;

So sad at heart to hear of your troubling time. Your friend is lucky to have your peace and light.

I agree with confronting your friend, but I'm not too much into the "duct tape them to the chair" kind of interventions stuff. In my experience it does more harm than good.

I've had to deal with this myself, and the best I can offer is that you sit her down, and be prepared. Imagine a good sheepdog. Whichever way she goes, argument wise, nip her back into the fold. Tell her you love her, and offer options instead of the trite crap that pervades most folks senses. Tell her how to get help, and offer to go with her. Tell her that if she kills herself, there will have to be someone to find her. When I was six, a man hung himself in my grandfather's barn. He had been there a few days when my grandfather sent me in to get some tools. Does she want a six year old to find her body, and have to find out the horrors of death well before her time? It's not just herself she's hurting here.

And whatever her choice is, remember that it is HER choice. In coming to ask for help, and showing that you care, you have done the best you can. Keep your strength, and the love of those around you. I send you as much love and strength as my lil' black heart can muster. Elle