The world heavyweight champion, 28, could be stripped of his WBA and WBO titles after pulling out of his rematch with Wladimir Klitschko twice.
He has since reportedly tested positive for cocaine, while he is also awaiting a UKAD hearing after traces of nandrolone were allegedly found in a urine sample last year.
Following the cocaine allegation, Fury posted a photoshopped picture over the weekend from the movie Scarface with his face on the lead character from a scene in which the drug in front of him.
Fury then put out an expletive-laden message on Twitter yesterday claiming he had retired from the sport.
He later posted it was not true and wrote, ?As soon as I get better I will be defending what is mine.?
But despite his jokes on social media, Saunders, who has known Fury for 13 years, is worried that his mate has hit rock-bottom.
He said: ?He?s in a very very dark place, Tyson, he needs help.
?Without boxing I?m very concerned that he won?t see 30.
?The public need to get behind him and give him a little bit of support to make him feel people are behind him.
?We all do bad and we all do good but he?s in a bad, bad place at the moment.
Saunders has also pleaded with the WBA and WBO to think carefully about whether to strip Fury of his titles.
The 27-year-old, who defends his WBO middleweight title against Artur Akavov in Cardiff on October 22, believes the wrong decision could tip him over the edge.
He added: ?They need to think about that before they decide what to do because without his boxing, his life is finished, at this present moment in time.?
Saunders? promoter Frank Warren took a harder stance as he urged the heavyweight champion to stop the social media pranks and focus on getting his career back on track.
He said: ?We?re all responsible for our own actions and he sits there and uses Twitter and sends these stupid photographs and it?s madness.
