I need some advise

[ginny343]

Okay, this is completely not HP related, but I know that sometimes 
people post things here that are not.

I need some advise.  Yesterday I found out a friend of mine, a woman 
I grew up next door to and was very close to, is in a mental 
hospital.  When my parents moved 6 years ago, my mom asked me to not 
give her their new phone number or address because she was too 
depressing and my mom didn't want to have to listen to her 
problems.  I never went to visit my old neighbor after that because 
I could not bear to tell her that her old neighbors, who she had 
considered friends for the past 20 years, didn't want to hear from 
her.  A year after they moved, I moved to Mexico.  I have been back 
in the US for 3 years now, and have driven over there a few times to 
see if I could see her around, but have never stopped to knock on 
the door.  I felt bad because so much time had gone by.  

I will be moving again soon, so I made another trip over there 
yesterday, and knocked on the door.  The neighbors from across the 
street, whom I never knew very well, told me about her.  The woman 
told me she refuses to talk to anyone but her and that she has 
ripped up any cards she has gotten from people.  (I wonder if that 
is what happened to my wedding announcement.)  I was told she just 
cries almost all the time.  

I feel so sad.  I knew a lot of bad things had happened and that she 
was not doing well, but I thought she would have gotten over them 
and moved on.  This is a person who I talked to probably more than I 
talked to my mom.  I spent hours at her house chatting with her, 
beginning when I was about 5 years old.  I can't ask advise from 
anyone I know because I am afraid I will start crying.  Part of me 
wants to start sending her letters weekly, hoping that sometime she 
will not rip it up and will at least know that I still care about 
her.  But I don't know anything about someone who has had a 
breakdown like that.  I would not want to do anything to make her 
worse.  Do you have any suggestions? 

Linda