I'm not sure what answers I'm looking for, or from who on this forum, but maybe someone out there can give me some help or tips, or even an answer to this problem my girlfriend is having.
Since the age of 3 my girlfriend was sexually abused at first by her uncle and cousin then up until the early ages of 17 by her cousin alone, and unfortunately by other men too, which has no relation to her cousins years of abuse. Her cousin is now in jail and life is as normal as it can be for her now, except for one thing. She cannot sleep because of nightmares, mainly of flashbacks of her cousin abusing her sexually and physically.
She's been having these sleep problems for 6 months now, not long after her abuse stopped fully. She had to rely on heroin to help her sleep without any nightmares, which made life ok again for her. I made her come off heroin for her own good, not realizing at the time that by doing that she would not sleep at all. I wanted her to get proffesional help for her sleep problems, such as councelling, but she is the world's most stubborn person and whatever I'd say there was no way she was going to see anybody, at first it was because she thought I thought she was "mad" then it go to the stage of finding it too difficult to talk to anyone about her past and nightmares, I even suggested writiing it all out in a book or maybe a blog but that also seems to be too difficult for her.
Well we're now at the stage where she is on no drugs to help with her sleep (mainly because of her condition, which means she cannot take any drugs long term anymore). She has not slept properly in 2 months, maybe the odd 30 mins in a week. On top of this she's 17 years old, works a very important job as a manager at a dance company 9-6, since she has no parents she lives alone so has to run her own home, and on top of that do school work from home. All this is getting to be too much for her, even though she shows she's coping, it's obvious she isn't. Also since 2 months ago, she has slowly been turning into a different person, easily frustrated, snappy, angry, don't show much affection. She's not the girl I knew anymore. I know all this is down to no sleep, but I also know she will not get any sleep until something is done, and from all the research I've done about PTSD and sleep disorders, there is nothing out there that seems to work. Although she has no energy to try these days. Eveything feels hopeless. I love her to bits and I'd sacrifice a lot to get her just to be ok again.
I also think I frustrate her with fussing over her bringing this problem up all the time, it seems like she just wants to sweep it all under the carpet.
Any adivce on the best way I can be there for her? Or if there is any hope for her? Thanks
Since the age of 3 my girlfriend was sexually abused at first by her uncle and cousin then up until the early ages of 17 by her cousin alone, and unfortunately by other men too, which has no relation to her cousins years of abuse. Her cousin is now in jail and life is as normal as it can be for her now, except for one thing. She cannot sleep because of nightmares, mainly of flashbacks of her cousin abusing her sexually and physically.
She's been having these sleep problems for 6 months now, not long after her abuse stopped fully. She had to rely on heroin to help her sleep without any nightmares, which made life ok again for her. I made her come off heroin for her own good, not realizing at the time that by doing that she would not sleep at all. I wanted her to get proffesional help for her sleep problems, such as councelling, but she is the world's most stubborn person and whatever I'd say there was no way she was going to see anybody, at first it was because she thought I thought she was "mad" then it go to the stage of finding it too difficult to talk to anyone about her past and nightmares, I even suggested writiing it all out in a book or maybe a blog but that also seems to be too difficult for her.
Well we're now at the stage where she is on no drugs to help with her sleep (mainly because of her condition, which means she cannot take any drugs long term anymore). She has not slept properly in 2 months, maybe the odd 30 mins in a week. On top of this she's 17 years old, works a very important job as a manager at a dance company 9-6, since she has no parents she lives alone so has to run her own home, and on top of that do school work from home. All this is getting to be too much for her, even though she shows she's coping, it's obvious she isn't. Also since 2 months ago, she has slowly been turning into a different person, easily frustrated, snappy, angry, don't show much affection. She's not the girl I knew anymore. I know all this is down to no sleep, but I also know she will not get any sleep until something is done, and from all the research I've done about PTSD and sleep disorders, there is nothing out there that seems to work. Although she has no energy to try these days. Eveything feels hopeless. I love her to bits and I'd sacrifice a lot to get her just to be ok again.
I also think I frustrate her with fussing over her bringing this problem up all the time, it seems like she just wants to sweep it all under the carpet.
Any adivce on the best way I can be there for her? Or if there is any hope for her? Thanks
