Support and referral

You may be your friends’ first source of emotional support when they are experiencing any personal difficulties. Your care and support are most precious. Students who are in distress always find the following support from their friends helpful:

• Listen to them in private
• Understand their struggles and inner conflicts
• Take time to accompany them
• Think about options and weigh the pros/cons with them
• Help them with practical tasks
• Spend time together to do something relaxing

Under certain circumstances, you may consider encouraging your friends to seek help from CoPE:

• Your friend showing intense emotional distress
• The distress or problem persists despite efforts spent
• You are not sure how to help your friend, or how best to help
• Your friend is a victim, witness, or suspected assailant of a traumatic incident
• The problem is more than that you can handle

Refer immediately if your friends have:

• Overtly suicidal thoughts (e.g. talking about suicide as a current option in oral or written forms)
• Homicidal thoughts or threats to harm others
• Gross mental impairments or confusion
• Uncontrollable crying or intense emotions
• Loss of contact with reality (e.g. seeing or hearing things, which others cannot see or hear, and beliefs or actions greatly at odds with reality or probability)
• Bizarre behaviours (e.g. stalking behaviours)
• Inappropriate communications (e.g. threatening messages or harassment)
• Highly disruptive behaviours (e.g. hostility, aggression, or violence)

Find out more on how to approach a counsellor at CoPE.

Do remember that your health and wellbeing are very important. Be realistic about what you can offer. Look after yourself and seek support when you feel stressed.