my boyfriend's parents are on the verge of divorce. He's REALLY upset, like crying all the time, and depressed, and sort of suicidal becasue the whole family just fights and yells all day long, and they tell him that he's a loser all the time, etc. I'm trying to be comforting, but nothing I say helps. Is there anything I can do to cheer him up?

(Edited by stalker on skates at 8:53 pm on Jun. 4, 2004)

I would give up on trying to cheer him up, per se. It sounds like a really terrible situation that will take time to adjust to. Let him deal with it at his own pace.

Sometimes there is nothing that can (or should) be said. Sometimes it's better just to be a good listener. Maybe just getting out of that environment, even for an hour or two a day, would be good for him.

The main thing, I would say, is to just let him know that you care about him and that you're there to listen any time he wants to talk about it. If things are getting really bad, he might want to look into seeing a counsellor or therapist.

(Edited by jamiecarroll at 4:39 pm on Jun. 4, 2004)

give him a copy of Tammy Wynette's greatest hits

I'd refer you to the third verse of "Circus"

Don't listen to Sinéad O'Connor's "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance."