Hello..
I am new to this site, but not new to the world of PTSD. In 2009 my then 10 year old daughter told me that she has been being sexually abused by a relative who lived with us. She was subsequently diagnosed with PTSD, Depression and Anxiety. After about 2 years we had gotten symptoms under control and she was doing great. No more meds, and was free from counseling. The abuser got 6 years in state prison.
Jump forward to 2014 when she was 15. She and her brothers best friend (of 7 years) decided that they wanted to "date". Due to an age difference, my husband and I sat them down and laid out the terms of what this "dating" was allowed to entail. The biggest thing was no sexual activity as she wasn't of age, but they could hang out, go to movies etc. We trusted this boy implicitly as we had watched him grow up and he was practically family. Over the next year and a half they dated, but that came to an end memorial day of this year. They had gotten into a fight and our daughter let us know that he had been abusing her throughout the whole relationship pushing her, choking her, and locking her in her bedroom with him in the middle of the night whenever they fought. We put an end to the relationship right there and cut off all contact between the two of them. He and his mother didn't think that was right and started harassing her to get back with him due to his mental health status and threats of suicide.
They say hindsight is 20/20 and looking back I should have realized that something was wrong when around Christmas time all her symptoms came back full force. Anxiety, PTSD and a severe bout of depression that preceded counseling starting again. She then abruptly stopped going and downright refused to go without any reason given. Come to find out after contact was severed that he had told her that the relative that abused her lived near her counselor.
Fast forward to June of this year and she informed us that not only was the abuse physical but also sexual. She is back in counseling and the ex has been arrested on statutory rape charges and disseminating inappropriate videos to a minor. They couldn't go for the full on rape due to the time period over which it occurred and proof. The DA didn't want to put my daughter through testifying and getting ripped apart by the defense attorney.
My issue now is how can I help her. She is a very strong willed, amazing, smart 17 year old who is insisting that she doesn't want to take any medications other than her SSRI that she is already on. She is having nightmares, hearing his voice saying he will get her right before she falls asleep, and daily flashbacks. Moving out of our house isn't and option. She had surgery recently and has missed counseling for a few weeks. I am working in getting her into her counselor asap.. I am here to listen and support as much as she will let me. I just don't know what else to do...
I am new to this site, but not new to the world of PTSD. In 2009 my then 10 year old daughter told me that she has been being sexually abused by a relative who lived with us. She was subsequently diagnosed with PTSD, Depression and Anxiety. After about 2 years we had gotten symptoms under control and she was doing great. No more meds, and was free from counseling. The abuser got 6 years in state prison.
Jump forward to 2014 when she was 15. She and her brothers best friend (of 7 years) decided that they wanted to "date". Due to an age difference, my husband and I sat them down and laid out the terms of what this "dating" was allowed to entail. The biggest thing was no sexual activity as she wasn't of age, but they could hang out, go to movies etc. We trusted this boy implicitly as we had watched him grow up and he was practically family. Over the next year and a half they dated, but that came to an end memorial day of this year. They had gotten into a fight and our daughter let us know that he had been abusing her throughout the whole relationship pushing her, choking her, and locking her in her bedroom with him in the middle of the night whenever they fought. We put an end to the relationship right there and cut off all contact between the two of them. He and his mother didn't think that was right and started harassing her to get back with him due to his mental health status and threats of suicide.
They say hindsight is 20/20 and looking back I should have realized that something was wrong when around Christmas time all her symptoms came back full force. Anxiety, PTSD and a severe bout of depression that preceded counseling starting again. She then abruptly stopped going and downright refused to go without any reason given. Come to find out after contact was severed that he had told her that the relative that abused her lived near her counselor.
Fast forward to June of this year and she informed us that not only was the abuse physical but also sexual. She is back in counseling and the ex has been arrested on statutory rape charges and disseminating inappropriate videos to a minor. They couldn't go for the full on rape due to the time period over which it occurred and proof. The DA didn't want to put my daughter through testifying and getting ripped apart by the defense attorney.
My issue now is how can I help her. She is a very strong willed, amazing, smart 17 year old who is insisting that she doesn't want to take any medications other than her SSRI that she is already on. She is having nightmares, hearing his voice saying he will get her right before she falls asleep, and daily flashbacks. Moving out of our house isn't and option. She had surgery recently and has missed counseling for a few weeks. I am working in getting her into her counselor asap.. I am here to listen and support as much as she will let me. I just don't know what else to do...
