The depressed young adult

Looking for advice from anyone who has gone through this...
My son, 19, a sensitive person, struggles with depression and anxiety, has ups and down, and is in therapy, but not on any meds. He's currently in a very down place, he says (quite earnestly) he just wants to die so he doesn't have to feel the pain anymore. I'm thankful that he's open with me about it, but I don't really know how to help him. His therapist recommends journaling and getting exercise. He got himself up and went to class today, which is huge progress, but he's just miserable. What can I do?

Edit- thanks everyone. he has agreed to trying medication so that’s really good. here’s to getting through another day.

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TexChik · F

His therapist isn't doing him any favors if your son is expressing his wish to die. He needs to be under the care of a psychiatrist and go through a complete medical workup to rule out any organic causes of his depression, and then move forward with meds in a hospital setting so they can keep tabs on his liver and kidney function. At the same time, they determine which drug and how much will be effective for him. Unfortunately, it's come to that. You can apply for a durable power of attorney on his behalf (consult your attorney), which can be vacated later by a judge once he recovers and no longer poses a threat to himself.