Your friend is lucky to have someone like you concerned about her, and you are correct in your thinking that she needs help now. It sounds like a particularly rough time for her, and that her depressive feelings are very likely an important part of the problem.
Many people mistakenly think
alcohol is a stimulant that will make them feel better, so they try to treat their own depression by drinking alcohol, but the actual result is further depression. Additional problems arise from risky behaviors under the influence of alcohol, such as sexual assault or motor vehicle accidents. Many times the person drinking alcohol does not even remember what happened.
From your description, your friend is likely to need or free
professional help, so she can sort through her personal, family, and psychological issues that are so troublesome right now. It is very important to learn how depressed she is and whether suicide has become a real risk.
The best way to help her is to listen to what she is saying, then use a supportive and caring tone to
tell her how much her friendship means to you. Convince your friend to talk with the school counselor or social worker, a doctor in a local clinic or emergency room, or someone else as interested in her health as you are, so that she can receive the care and counseling that she needs as soon as possible.
For more information about
helping a friend who has a drug problem, visit the
Help section.