Hi all,
I hope this is the right place for this. I have a friend who I suspect to be PTSD and I want to know what I can do to encourage her to seek some sort of support or counseling or something. I'm basically there for her by phone whenever she is having problems but I'm not a doctor and there's only so much that I can do.
Essentially she got herself into a situation that, comparatively, wasn't horrible, but it was out of her character and exploited her lack of self esteem. Due to a highly rare infection (that happened as a result of doing things that she wouldn't have done before, but certainly anything but predictable), she had to have fairly major surgery and was essentially alone for a while.
I had suspected at times past that she may have a little bit of borderline personality disorder, and these events surely didn't help. Now as I talk to her, she clearly has most of the PTSD symptoms. I don't think she has literal flashbacks, and is doing very well in school, but many of the other symptoms are very clear in her to me.
She feels like anyone else with PTSD is either a rape victim or a soldier, and that no one will understand her story, or even really care. She even doesn't want to discuss her story online anonymously. So basically I (and to a small degree her mom, although she's reluctant to share with her mom and her mom is fairly traditional and may not be a big help) have been the one that's been there for her for the last two years, and the last 6 months since the whole thing started. I just want to know what I should do in this situation.
I hope this is the right place for this. I have a friend who I suspect to be PTSD and I want to know what I can do to encourage her to seek some sort of support or counseling or something. I'm basically there for her by phone whenever she is having problems but I'm not a doctor and there's only so much that I can do.
Essentially she got herself into a situation that, comparatively, wasn't horrible, but it was out of her character and exploited her lack of self esteem. Due to a highly rare infection (that happened as a result of doing things that she wouldn't have done before, but certainly anything but predictable), she had to have fairly major surgery and was essentially alone for a while.
I had suspected at times past that she may have a little bit of borderline personality disorder, and these events surely didn't help. Now as I talk to her, she clearly has most of the PTSD symptoms. I don't think she has literal flashbacks, and is doing very well in school, but many of the other symptoms are very clear in her to me.
She feels like anyone else with PTSD is either a rape victim or a soldier, and that no one will understand her story, or even really care. She even doesn't want to discuss her story online anonymously. So basically I (and to a small degree her mom, although she's reluctant to share with her mom and her mom is fairly traditional and may not be a big help) have been the one that's been there for her for the last two years, and the last 6 months since the whole thing started. I just want to know what I should do in this situation.