How to help yourself
- Know yourself.
- Build your support network. After a traumatic experience, especially one that involves the deliberate act of another person, it can be difficult to trust people and situations that you normally might have. It is important to talk to people you do trust, and spend time with people you were comfortable with.
- Talk to people. When a serious event has happened to a person, talking about it can be one of the hardest things, but it is very important, and helps the healing process.
- Talk to someone. Even if you do not have “all the symptoms” of PTSD, it is important to get support for whatever traumatic event you or a close friend experienced.
- Remember: Everyone deserves support in these times.
How to help a friend
- Be gentle. Topics surrounding an event that was so traumatic to them can be very sensitive issues, let your friend set the pace for the conversation.
- Watch sensitive times of the year. Most often people suffering from PTSD have more difficulties around the events anniversary.
- Get support for yourself.