Suicidal/Depressed Roommate?

Student Lounge College Life
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<p>Need some advice/analysis/help!!</p>

<p>I'm a junior and live in the dorms. My roomie was a random assignment and so far he's shown some serious problems!!! </p>

<p>I do think he's naturally an introvert and quiet type of guy, but there're some troubling things beyond just any quietness from him. ...</p>

<p>1.) He never attends class. He's a 5th year senior and he's taking I think 3 or 4 classes and never goes to them. I know, because my doormates tell me. I sleep at 11PM-ish and wake everyday about 7:45AM-ish for working out and class...I'm gone when he rises, but my dormies know and see him.</p>

<p>My roomie sleeps around 4-6AM and wakes between 1-2PM everyday. Upon waking, he downloads music on his computer all day, plays video games, and more or less stays in the room never leaving. People in my dorm walk by and see that the room is completely dark with shades drawn usually and him just sitting there staring in front of the computer all day. I see this too when I come back sometimes. </p>

<p>My roommie literalyl doesn't do HW or go to class (not that anyone seems to have seen). I think he attended like the first day and then just started staying in and never leaving. </p>

<p>2.) He has bad hygiene, is messy, has trash from empty food containers and wrappers all over and seems like he's given up on life. </p>

<p>3.) He's talked about not caring about his life. I'm serious. It's weird. We were sort of asking him what he wants to do with his degree and why he doesn't attend class and he's talked about being bad at school and just not caring. He says he doesn't buy into the whole rat race thing and just does what he wants (with his parents paying for everything mind you).</p>

<p>4.) I honestly think he's addicted to video games. I mean...this might sound like hyperbole, but I"m not sure it is....he's sat in front of his screen for what has seemed like 12 hours straight gaming...maybe even longer. I'll be sleeping and get woken up from his movements or the light and sound from his computer at like 3AM... I'm not sure he can even function without games. </p>

<p>His pattern is sleep, game, sleep, game, sleep, game, sleep, game....doesn't do HW or attend class and pretty much just games and occassionally talks and hangs with other gamers (who come over). </p>

<p>Honestly, this is weird to me and depressing me seeing him like this. It's abnormal in my opinion and we've had a few differences in terms of dorm room arrangement and hours...but after settlingn those, it's just the fact of seeing him everyday like this that bothers me. It's like I'm living with a zombie. We don't really know each other aside from being assigned rooms together, so I don't know what to do or who to talk to . </p>

<p>I usually try hard to get away from my room and hang out with others or study on campus to avoid him. But, sometimes I can't. Sometimes I just have to get stuff done in my room for assignments. And it's weird having someone sit straight (he's actualyl got good posture) in his chair stairing endlessly into his screen gaming. AGAIN, imagine living with a zombie or robot. </p>

<p>Does anyone know what to do or if my roommate is showing signs of suicide? Any perspective or feedback would be greatly apprciated! Thanks everyone.</p>

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<p>I really do think gaming is a destroyer of good grades if you can’t control your habits. </p>

<p>I don’t think these are necessarily signs of suicide. I don’t know where you drew that conclusion from. What his parents need to do is cut him off and then he should get his crap together if he wants to save himself. I know one of my old friends ended up working a job at Taco Bell to solely support his World of Warcraft addiction to video games. He is in for a rude awakening in the real world.</p>

<p>See if it is possible to get a new roommate, pronto. You don’t need to be tangled in that mess.</p>

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<p>Thing is you dunno which came first, video games or not caring. You dunno that if he quit video games he’d attend class or any of that, but it does seem to me like he’s suicidal. Seniors don’t talk like that and suddenly quit going to class unless something’s really wrong. You could go to the dean and report it, or let him continue to crash and burn. </p>

<p>I actually don’t think you need to bother with a room change. If your descriptions are accurate, I think it’s safe to say he’d be forced out if you told the dean’s office. It’s his life, he’s not your responsibility, but it sounds like he’s gonna play it out and not graduate either way…</p>

<p>With a medical leave at least his transcript won’t have all Fs and he could return someday, possibly. His parents will likely get some of the $ back for this semester too, being so early. I think you should do that and soon. RAs don’t have that kind of power and it sounds like the guy is beyond reasoning with. Get him out of there so he’ll be forced to get help, and get yourself a new roommate in the process.</p>

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<p>I’m no expert on the topic, but I do know it’s possible to be depressed and not suicidal, but even so, there’s something wrong with your roommate even if he doesn’t recognize it himself. You don’t know what he’s been like in the past, but it’s very possible that this isn’t just “the way he is.” Apathy like that is a pretty clear sign of depression. That’s not just laziness, that’s an imbalance in of chemicals in the brain, and he needs help from a professional. I would go to an RA and let him/her handle the problem-they should be trained on this and know what people to contact. If that doesn’t work, maybe you could try going to your college’s counseling service and ask them what to do. Like other people have said, this isn’t your responsibility and you won’t be affected, but your roommate is not in a position where he can help himself, so getting him that help initially might be just what he needs to recognize his problem and get his life back on track, not to mention his future mental well being.</p>