This person is a girl, and she is best friends with another girl. Recently, her best friend told her she likes her, but this girl told her that she doesn't like her back. Her friend started to lightly cut herself because of this, and both friends feel like they're guilty of something. They don't know what to do.

Love, you cannot force yourself to like someone, nor should you feel guilty or ashamed that you don't like someone even if they like you, so please tell yourself that you are NOT at fault. As a matter of fact, neither you, nor your friend, are at fault.

She should not harm herself just because you don't like her back because there is much more to life than romance. Since she is doing this, however, she needs to receive help from someone as soon as possible. If you have not tried to talk to her about this problem, then talk to her about it! People tend to forget that talking things out can work wonders sometimes, so perhaps a nice, long, meaningful conversation about the two of you staying friends (and why you should stay just friends) will make her realize that cutting is not the solution. During this one conversation, ask her what it would take for her to stop harming herself and remind her that she is a completely worthy person whether she is in a relationship with someone or not, especially if she is not because a person rejected her. It's important to listen to everything she has to say and consider what she says. If communication does not work, then I recommend that you reach out to a trusted adult, such as a counselor or therapist, and ask them what is the right approach to this. The most important thing is to not give up on her until she stops harming herself!

I hope this helped! (:

Best Regards,

The Advice Column Team