Desperate Situation

What makes someone so desperate enough to let go of their beliefs? A childhood friend, Autumn, surprised me this weekend by shooting down her long-held beliefs about relationships and the boundaries that should not be crossed unless the signs point that way. What happened to the vow she made time and again and the undefeated attitude she protrayed to everyone when things didn't turn out as she had expected? Of course, we all knew that somewhere underneath all her layers of protection lay a fragile heart capable of hurting. Yet, through it all, she took control of each situation and twisted it until its demise empowered her. But now it seems the tables have turned, and Autumn is losing control. Her actions are a desperate cry for help. A cry that results from years of being let down. A cry that continues as the years pass without hope. I don't know how to help her. I guess we all have to make our own mistakes, but how can I tell her that she's making the biggest mistake by letting herself go? By letting herself lose control of a situation that's leading her down the path of destruction? I've tried to be a good friend, giving her the kind of advice that I hope she'll give me someday when I'm in a dire state as she's in now. But my advice falls by the wayside as she desperately seeks inner peace in all the wrong places. All I can do is pray that she'll get through this without losing all hope. For without hope, there's nothing left but a desperate situation.