[Ineedhe1p]

This happens a lot acctually, I have a friend who talks to me and tells me all these awful things, even his parents abusing him. I offer help and maybe calling someone qualified but then he ends up just saying "oh it's not that bad don't call anyone" I feel really bad and I want to help but the thing is, he has a history of lying about this kind of stuff. I'm not sure why. I love him but I think he's saying these things for attention. How do I help him if I don't know whether he is lying or not. I don't want to make him mad but should I call him out on the lie?

[Tender_Heart]

Maybe the first thing you could ask him is how can I help you? What do you need from me? Is there anything I can do? Questions like that may help you understand a lot more of what he is wanting help with.

[pegasus]

Hello Ineedhe1p, welcome to Psych Central.

Do you know that he is lying for sure?

A lot of people that are being abused find it hard to say and then panic because they are scared that they have just let something out that they shouldn't have. I mean, if he is being abused by his parents, he is going to feel very vulnerable. I would be inclined not to judge but to keep urging him to seek help. It can take a long time for someone to actually seek help and take that massive leap to tell someone about it. Be as supportive as you can, try not to question if he is lying because even if he was, there is an issue there somewhere.

[Ineedhe1p]

Originally Posted by pegasus

Hello Ineedhe1p, welcome to Psych Central.

Do you know that he is lying for sure?

A lot of people that are being abused find it hard to say and then panic because they are scared that they have just let something out that they shouldn't have. I mean, if he is being abused by his parents, he is going to feel very vulnerable. I would be inclined not to judge but to keep urging him to seek help. It can take a long time for someone to actually seek help and take that massive leap to tell someone about it. Be as supportive as you can, try not to question if he is lying because even if he was, there is an issue there somewhere.

Thank you so so much. Since I posted this, he had decided to call the police himself I guess, he told me that they took his mother's side and didn't listen to him. I'm just having him call or text me whenever he feels unsafe. Should I do more?