Whatever the crisis, friends just need you to be there. Listen if they want to tell you about their troubles. Comfort them sincerely. Be a shoulder to cry on when needed. Mourn with them if they are mourning. Take children off their hands and give them a few hours by themselves if that is the best way for you to be there for your friend. Offer assistance, support, and resources as needed. Whatever the cause of your friend's crisis, being there for them is what counts the most.

Be Proactive

Sometimes just being there isn't enough. Unfortunately, a lot of people you know won't ask for help even if they desperately need it. Be proactive about helping your friend. Instead of asking what you can do to help, evaluate the situation for yourself and decide what you can do. For example, if a friend is put on bed rest because of illness or pregnancy, it is pretty obvious they aren't getting their housework done. Coming over and spending a couple of hours doing dishes and scrubbing toilets will go a lot farther to actually helping your friend in their crisis than asking what you can do to help. If your friend doesn't know where to go for help, you can provide them with resources. Supply information on where they can get government assistance, counseling, private detectives or whatever the situation requires. Be a proactive resource base for a friend in need.

Be an Active Listener

In a crisis, sometime a person just needs to talk. Listen to what they have to say. However, a true friend actively listens which means you also need to reply. When in crisis mode most people aren't able to think very clearly. Give them logical and sound advice when you can see that their thinking isn't producing a solution to the problem. Anger, heartache, panic, and a host of other emotions can blind a person to reason when they are searching in themselves for it. You can be a voice of reason when their world is in chaos, but first you have to listen.

Ensure Their Safety

Occasionally you'll need to ensure your friend's safety both physically and emotionally. Sometimes all that takes is a phone call or chat with your friend. Allow them time to grieve if needed, but do what you can to make sure grief doesn't overcome their good sense. Sometimes ensuring your friend's safety only requires you to distract them. You wouldn't be a true friend if you did not ensure your friend's physical and emotional safety in whatever way possible. At times, being a true friend means professional assistance may be required to help your friend to get back to safe ground.