Being forced to retell your friends rape to a stranger?

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  • You should really encourage your friend to get help. If her story is true, then it's highly probable that she is suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD for short. It's a fairly common disorder that originates from a highly traumatic situation, and has a wide variety of potential causes, with rape being one of the most common. Your friend appears to be involving herself in such rash, unusual behavior as an attempt to put the trauma behind her. In essence, it's a cry for help. The best thing you can really do is to make it clear to her that you can see that she's suffering on some level and that you want to help. Tell her that you won't force her into seeking help, but you want her to feel better about herself. Be supportive, as hard as it may seem- she really needs a friend right now. You might want to do some research into her condition as well, as a sense of understanding will do you both a lot of good in this situation. I should also note that it is typically not a good idea to force her to seek help unless you truly feel that she is putting herself and/or others in immediate and serious danger, as this has the potential to cause very serious emotional damage and severely worsen her condition.

    I wish you luck and a better relationship with your friend, and I wish healing for her. PTSD is a very difficult condition to live with.

    By the way, I should mention that I'm just someone who knows a bit about psychiatry, but I'm not a doctor, so don't take my word as medical advice. I actually do have PTSD for reasons I won't get into, so I can speak from a patient's perspective, and hopefully help guide you towards a solution, but I'm not a licensed professional. Regardless, I hope I helped.

    Thanks for reading and have a nice day.

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