I Can't Cope with Death Threats...

[she phoenix]

Hi there I'm only a 19 year old girl but my friend, who's a couple of years older than me recently got into some shit where he reported someone to the police who is a known criminal. I won't say what the crime is, but believe me, it's a pretty awful one, fuck all to do with selling drugs or the other normal, acceptable and good crimes.
But this was a man of fairly good standing in the town; people ignored that he was what he was and continued to go and spend time with him.
Now, he reports, he is being followed and harassed by people who are eager to end him... and he's also tried to end himself as well. He went to another country and apparently these people who're after him followed him there and tried to throw boiling water on him.
I know for a fact that my friend has always been very paranoid and his mind is certainly not in a good place. But something as serious as this is bound to have some sort of root, even though I believe he is a paranoid schizophrenic.
But anyway, this person seems to be relying on me as his only hope of help and advice as all his other friends have turned away from him (he has been a dick to everyone he knows, including me, because of his mental state. My boyfriend was the one who persuaded me to give him a second chance).
I cannot deal with something this big. I have no idea what to say to him when he calls me tonight. I don't evn know how much of it is true and how much of it is his paranoia. But I must do something... he won't go out at night and he keeps trying to kill himself. Help, for the love of all things holy, help please.

 

[Artificial Emotion]

Could the whole thing just be a paranoid delusion?

 

[Arnold]

He needs to go and see a psychiatrist and probably be put on meds, that one is a bit too much to handle for the average person.
If you can't get that one across to him or he doesn't want to go then I hate to say it but he needs sectioning.(should actually have happened already) Do you know his doctor contact him if you do and go from there. If you don't and he tries to top himself call the cops they will detain him under the mental health act.
You could be done with that within a day or two.

 

[shahab6]

Could the whole thing just be a paranoid delusion?

i agree to. very unlike somebody would follow somebody to another country and throw boiling water at them. It's pretty hard to find somebody in another country.
So that story seems very unlikely.

 

[Legerity]

Whether it all happened or not you shouldn't have to be fully responsible for another person. There are resources online or by phone depending where you are for mental health and suicide. You're free to get as involved as much as you want but it's not an obligation and may not benefit you or him.

 

[herbavore]

Your friend is delusional and suicidal so even though you want to help, getting entangled in his mental state is dangerous for both of you. I think that it would be in his best interest to have mental health professionals get involved. If there is any way you can jump-start that process, that would probably be the best thing you could do.

It's hard to watch someone in that state; it brings on the worst feelings of helplessness. He is very lucky to have someone like you that cares but caring and fixing are two different things; you cannot fix this. Good luck