So to start out I have never been married nor do I have kids. However, my best friend since I was probably 5 years old, we are both currently 40. He is currently hospitalized after attempting to take his own life after his wife told him earlier this week that she was going to ruin him and keep him from seeing his kid. Luckly he survived his attempt and was taken to a faciliy after being committed.
While in the facility his wife filed for divorce and he was served with a Protection from abuse. The back story is long. I am currently deployed overseas with the military since October of last year. Prior to leaving I had no clue things were heading this direction. I did have some sense that he might have been over spending but I don't think that was the single contributing factor either. His immediate family and siblings live in the same town and have been a support system.
Ever since we were in highschool I will say he has never handled being "single" well. He would usually attach himself to whatever girl was willing to date him. He always had the American dream of having the family and kids. Kinda always wanted the Hollywood happy ending.
Unfortunately he had a messy break up towards the end of college when his girlfriend left. He kinda bummed around for a year after that and barely taking care of himself. He eventually met his wife and a few years into their dating she began cheating on him and got pregnant to another guy. His brother and myself both assisted in helping him catch her cheating hoping that he would see the truth of what was going on in order to move on. He later reconciled with her and raised the other guy's kid and they eventually had a kid of their own and got married.
Fast forward and talking to his brother the wife has been staying out to 4-5am and they have somehow confirmed she has been sleeping with someone else. My friend also began a depression phase which I understood turned into paranoia and strange behavior according to friends and family. Later turning into scucidal ideation which later became the attempt which brings us to now.
I have been talking with his family (mother, brother, and sister) and they are doing their best to help. I advised them that they should make sure he knows to no screw around with the PFA or else he can easily land himself in jail. Even if the wife reaches out to him. And that is my fear. I do not think that he has the self control to not text her once he is released and has his cellphone back. I also am concerned that he will attempt again too. Our friends and family share the same concern.
How do we best support him? How do we help guide him to make appropriate decisions and not let his emotions control him? He has been seeing a therapist since this spring too but clearly that isn't the quick solution either.