Apparently my best friend is depressed. And it's scaring me.

I was texting him, and he just seemed kind-of down. I asked him what was wrong. "Nothing. "Are you sure?"
And then for whatever reason he just cracked and started telling me everything. His parents were going through a divorce - he's staying with his mom right now. She's been telling him everything from "You're the reason your father and I are splitting" to "I wish I never had you. We never wanted you anyway." He even heard her trying to make arrangements for him to stay at a family friend's house for a while because she didn't want to see him around. He's always been a really cheerful kid, and he has continued to act like his usual spontaneous self every day at school. I guess he's a good actor. I had no idea what had been going on.
He texted me again the next morning to give the *wonderful* news that he had just woken up and thrown up. For god's sake, he's a skinny kid to start with. I'm worried. I'm really, really worried. For one thing, I had another friend suffer through this and now she's turned to drugs, sex, and self-mutilation. She's thirteen. I can't help but be afraid that this will happen to him, too. He told me not to worry, that it would all work out in the end and that I shouldn't bother telling anyone, but I feel like I need to help him somehow - without breaking his trust. He sounds like he needs more than a shoulder to cry on at this point.
It seems strange to turn to a forum for help with this, but... help with life?

 

Try taking those two on a good day of fun. If your school is having a free fair soon then take them there and maybe they will feel a little happier

 

There's unfortunately not a lot you can do in a situation like that without violating his family's privacy. A friend of mine went through something quite similar. I'd say you should keep an eye on his eating habits, and maybe spend some time with him. Get him away from his mother a little bit.

 

Maybe you should talk him into staying somewhere else. That type of abuse can really hurt someone.

 

This is what I went through last year. My parents went through a divorce without me or my brothers noticing until they admitted it, except I didn't get the whole, "You're not wanted thing", I got the "Lets spill our guts about the other parent to the already upset girl" thing.

Now he's lucky he was able to trust you and tell you. I wasn't allowed to say a thing which nearly drove me insane until a friend found out.

Stay by his side and comfort him no matter what. I didn't get to grieve properly and my personality has changed from it. I'm not as optimistic as I was before. Let him grieve as much as he wants, let him talk to you to his problems and make sure he knows that someone cares, because that's all he would want at this point.​

 

I think you should get him out of the house and go for long walks through the park and discuss about it. That might help him a bit. If not, just try to make him lighten up and go somewhere fun like an amusement park for a day. That will cheer him up :)

 

Thanks, you guys :) For now I guess that's all I can do. I'll try hard.

 

Is he still sad? need any more help?

 

If we're talking about a real depression here, it's not going to go away in one day. It takes a long process. I'm leaving this thread open for now.
Of course bobo.the.nut can always request a lock for this, but I doubt his friend's problems will be resolved already. ;)