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For over a year, my boyfriend has been having episodes of depression. Some of them have been relatively short, lasting only an hour or so; others have been long, sometimes lasting for days at a time. Some have been mild, others have been very serious and resulted in suicidal thoughts. I've tried to tell him (and myself) that things will get better for him, but he says that it never seeme to get better - only worse. I really think he has a real mental disorder - probably either depression or anxiety disorder.

He does have a lot on his plate. He's dealing with school issues, guilt, the aftermath of his recent mistake involving this other girl, family problems, etc. I have to admit, his life is far from perfect, so I can see where all of this depression and anxiety are coming from.

I don't know what to do! Thing is, we live in different towns, so I don't have direct connections to his school guidance counselor or psychologist. I'd tell his mom, but something tells me she wouldn't take it seriously enough. His friends are also aware of his problems, but they're as confused as I am. They feel like he would get mad at them for "going behind his back" and telling someone. I've tried to convince him to get help, but he denies having a problem! One of his friends says that he views getting help as "weak" and that's why he refuses to do anything about his problems. Also, he once said "I'm sick, aren't I?" and he sounded like if I said yes, he'd feel even worse about himself. I don't want him to think he's some sort of psycho, I want him to realize that having a mental disorder is nothing to be ashamed of, and he should seek help before his depression gets too bad - before it's too late.

I'm just confused. How do I get him the help he needs? Is there anything I can say or do to help him through this?