Friend talking of ending it all

[Halfahundred]

He was forced to resign (unfairly IMO) and has gone downhill these past two years.

He's still feeling so low and tonight I got a telephone call from him saying he wanted to end it all. I listened (lasted about 30 minutes) then he ended the call.

I sent him the number of The Samaritans...didn't know what else to do; said he could ring me anytime.

He's not replied. Do I wait? Leave him be for a while and text tomorrow? He has a wife and young baby . I feel so helpless

I think you need to do something for sure. Is his wife at home with him? Can you ring her and tell her what he is saying? If you can't I suggest ringing the non-emergency police telephone number and asking them for advice. They may suggest they should pay him a visit to see if he needs to be taken to hospital.

His wife isn't with him but he s with his extended family at the moment. He sounded very down. I m very wary of getting the police involved because of what happened before (I can t say what this was). I think authorities' involvement would push him further over the edge.

It's a bit of an intrusive question on this board and I really don't want to be appear insensitive to anyone else but is there anybody who has articulated these kind of thoughts before - perhaps to a friend - and if so, what would have helped you at that point in time from the friend? Is it just listening? Sympathising? Being direct about what you needed to do to move forward? Would it have been throwing the ball back into your court and asking 'how do you think you can move on from this?' - or would that have been too unhelpful?

Struggling to think of the best response so as to help him most...