Just looking for a bit of advice with what to say/how to help my boyfriend as I am really starting to feel helpless 
. His step-father (lived with home since age 5) has recurring prostrate cancer and 4 months ago was given 6 months to live, at first my boyfriend really held it together as he is worried his mother will have a breakdown (mental illness is common in the family, with his sister currently being in a mental hospital due to bipolar) but in the past few weeks has really started to breakdown. He has been on 2 several day long 'benders' and even though he has kept in touch with me I have been worried sick as these have always led on from him breaking down on the phone to me and saying things such as he wants to slowly kill his body and he wouldn't care if he died at that moment. However in person he is still refusing to talk about it or open up about his feelings and I just feel really helpless. I know this is just his way of coping but I desperately want to help him as I can see he isn't going to be able to cope for much longer. On top of all this he has extremely low self esteem which stemmed from the first time his step-father had cancer meaning he has in the past refused to come out with me and my friends due to hating his body so much and if he does come out with/meet new people he is extremely anxious and won't talk. Again when I try to talk to him and help him he closes up. Does anyone have any tips on how to help/talk to people who have low self esteem and people close to them dying of cancer? Or any resources? I have tried macmillans 'the source' but found, along with mind.org.uk, they are aimed at the sufferer themselves. Just a chat would be gratefully accepted though thank you 