It's very easy to be afraid of approaching or pushing someone in that state to see you, out of fear of pushing them away. Two weeks ago I lost a friend (who was in an eerily similar situation to your friend) to suicide. I am finding it incredibly hard to forgive myself for not doing more, or pushing harder.
I fell into the trap of thinking that being more persistent in outreach would ultimately hurt more than it helped.
If you're in a society with suicide helplines, or social services that are affordable, I'd recommend reaching out to them for advice on how to get through to your friend. It's impossible to know how close to the edge he might be, but members of those organizations who speak to depressed or suicidal people on a daily basis may be able to provide you with advice on how to handle outreach, especially since he may not be reaching out to them directly.
It's unlikely that he will be open to engaging in a group situation. Reach out one-on-one, or visit in person.
Don't make the same mistake I did. My friend secluded himself out of the dumb idea that time apart would make his eventual suicide easier on his friends. It didn't, and there's nothing I can do now.
I fell into the trap of thinking that being more persistent in outreach would ultimately hurt more than it helped.
If you're in a society with suicide helplines, or social services that are affordable, I'd recommend reaching out to them for advice on how to get through to your friend. It's impossible to know how close to the edge he might be, but members of those organizations who speak to depressed or suicidal people on a daily basis may be able to provide you with advice on how to handle outreach, especially since he may not be reaching out to them directly.
It's unlikely that he will be open to engaging in a group situation. Reach out one-on-one, or visit in person.
Don't make the same mistake I did. My friend secluded himself out of the dumb idea that time apart would make his eventual suicide easier on his friends. It didn't, and there's nothing I can do now.