Hi there,
Thanks so much for taking the time to write to me. I can tell that you’re feeling very worried about what your friend is going through and you are wondering how you can help. It seems as though your friend doesn’t want to talk to anyone about the hallucinations he’s having and he sounds worried about his parents finding out.
There’s a really good website called Voice Collective that you and he might want to have a look at. It’s for young people who see, hear or sense things that other people don’t. It gives lots of tips for coping with seeing things as well as information about getting support. Perhaps you could take a look at it together. Epic friends is another useful site for anyone worried about a friend's mental health.
From what you’ve described, you’re obviously a very caring friend and it can be difficult to know that someone you care about is having a tough time. Perhaps you could talk to a ChildLine counsellor about what it’s like for you at the moment. I’m wondering whether maybe you have ideas about what you want to do that you'd like to talk through with someone. It would be great for you to get some support for yourself as well as your friend because it sounds like you’re going through a lot while you try to be there for him.
Your friend is really welcome to contact ChildLine too. The counsellors can keep most things confidential. If he wants to find out more about how ChildLine works, he can always ask the counsellor questions about the confidentiality promise before he decides whether he wants to talk about anything.
You’ve done so well to talk about what’s happening and remember that there’s lots of help available for you and your friend. You don’t have to go through this alone. You can call 0800 1111 or log on for a 1-2-1 chat if you want to speak to someone about this more.
Take care,
Sam