User blog comment:Sannse/Stand Up and Speak Out/@comment-24770156-20140129012807/@comment-8-20140129201924

Good thoughts from both of you, thank you :)

One thing I will remind everyone of though, it can be very difficult and upsetting to listen to other people's distress. That doesn't mean you shouldn't reach out, but it does mean that you should be careful to look after yourself too. If what you are hearing is distressing you, you might need to protect yourself by stepping away from the situation or by helping the person find a better place to get help. That's a very good time to give a helpline number and encourage them to talk to someone offline.

And, if you are finding it distressing to hear someone's suffering you should consider asking for help from your own family or friends offline too. If you are under 18, then please consider talking to your parents or a school counselor. The helplines I mentioned above are also available for friends of those in crisis, so you can always call them if you need to talk things through.