@AT:

There was a lot of that that reminded me of a friend I once had, ten years ago. She was sweet and lovely, as your friend is and I found myself attracted to her. However, she too had ghosts in her head that lead her to feel bad and hurt herself. No matter what I said or did, there was a part of her that I just couldn't reach out to.

We eventually went our separate ways and the last I heard of her, she'd managed to find a new job with a little less stress to it. I hope she's managed to open up a little or at least find some modicum of peace.

I hope you and your friend will too.