I (20F) called a welfare check on my boyfriend (28M) from across the world and I genuinely don't know what to do next.
Tldr at bottom
My boyfriend and I are long distance and always have been. We were together before, broke up about a year ago, and then got back together this February after I reached out to him again. The first time around, our relationship was incredibly toxic and volatile. I won't get into all the details because we'd be here forever, but there was a lot of hurt on both sides.
After we broke up, I lost my grandmother unexpectedly and went into a pretty deep depression that I'm honestly still struggling with. During that time I did a lot of reflecting, saw a lot of my own faults, and realized that despite everything, I still loved him and believed a lot of our issues were actually solvable if we both did the work.
When we got back together, things were great for a while. Then I broke his trust. I won't get into the specifics, but he already had major trust issues and it hit him hard. Ever since then, things have gradually gotten worse. We've been arguing more and more, and for the last few weeks it's been almost daily. Usually over stupid things that spiral into much bigger fights. It feels like we lost our ability to get back to a healthy baseline a long time ago.
About 48 hours ago everything came to a head.
He's been struggling a lot mentally. He lost his job, doesn't have reliable transportation, doesn't really have stable housing, and generally feels like his life is falling apart. He got very drunk while we were on the phone and we started arguing. I honestly don't even remember what it was about. As he kept drinking, he became increasingly upset. He was crying, talking about how depressed he was, saying he wanted to die, that he had nobody, and that there was no point anymore.
I tried to calm him down but nothing was working.
At one point I told him I was considering calling the police because I genuinely thought he might hurt himself. He told me not to. He seemed to calm down briefly, but by that point he was extremely intoxicated and it didn't last. Eventually he hung up on me.
I called him back repeatedly. I texted him. Nothing.
That's when I decided to call for a welfare check.
The problem is that he lives in the US and I live in Norway. It was the middle of the night where he was, and it took me a long time to even find someone who could help me. Eventually I got through and requested a welfare check. They asked afterwards if I wanted a callback and I said yes.
I never got one. I eventually fell asleep and hoped he’d message me when he’d sobered up and calmed down, but he never did.
I spent hours trying to reach him. I called and texted nonstop. I even contacted his mother. Still nothing. Eventually I called the agency back and found out they had written down my phone number incorrectly.
After a lot of back and forth, I finally got connected with an officer who told me my boyfriend had been transported to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation.
At that point I was honestly just relieved he was alive.
I called the hospital and eventually confirmed he was there. Getting through from Norway was a nightmare. After multiple attempts, waiting hours, and finally finding a workaround that allowed my call to connect properly, I reached the psychiatric unit.
The first time I called, I was told he was sleeping.
The second time I called, I was told he did not want to speak to me.
And honestly, that's where I am now.
I understand that he does not want to talk to me. I understand that he's probably overwhelmed, embarrassed, angry, exhausted, medicated, or all of the above. I understand that being hospitalized after a mental health crisis is a lot to process.
But if I'm being honest, it still hurts.
For almost an entire day I genuinely thought he might be dead. I spent roughly 16 hours trying to find out whether he was alive and where he was. When I finally got an answer, it was that he didn't want to talk to me.
I'm exhausted. I'm scared. I'm worried about him. I'm worried that he blames me for calling. I'm worried he'll never forgive me. I'm worried this relationship is over.
I've decided I'm not going to try to contact him again while he's in the hospital unless he specifically asks for me. I left my number with the staff because his phone is still at home.
I guess what I'm looking for is perspective about how I should feel and handle this situation. I’ve already called my parents and scheduled a flight back home because I don’t think I can be on my own like this until he’s discharged.
Im wondering if I even did the right thing, if I should give him space, or if I should be handling this differently?
I could really use some advice.
TL;DR: My long-distance boyfriend (28M) and I (20F) have been struggling for months and arguing frequently. A couple of days ago he got extremely drunk, made serious suicidal statements, told me not to call the police, then stopped responding entirely. I live in Norway and he lives in the US, but I was so worried I called for a welfare check anyway. After nearly 24 hours of trying to get information, I found out he had been taken to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation. I eventually got through to his unit hoping to speak with him, but a nurse told me he didn't want to talk to me. I'm relieved he's alive, but I'm terrified he blames me for calling, worried our relationship is over, and unsure whether I should give him space or try to reach out again after he's discharged. Im wondering if I even did the right thing, or if I should have handled this differently?
I could really use some advice.
Posted Jun 8, 2026, 12:17 AM UTC