This is only the second date that she’s ever been on, and she was previously a virgin. She just left home to live on her own 3 months ago.
I have an older sibling role with my friend, and she regards me as a role model. She frequently looks to me to make major life decisions, and she really values my input. I convinced her to seek counseling today and emphatically reassured her that this wasn’t her fault and that her value as a person has in no way been altered.
I’ve been through one hell of a lot as a person, including physical abuse, deaths, severe mental and physical illness, and addiction. I can connect to her on that level. When she talks to me about how she feels, I empathize deeply and feel that I’ve been there. But still, I’ve never been raped before.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to comfort a rape victim? My #1 approach is listen.
What advice should I give her? If you were raped, how did your emotions regarding it change over time? What stages did you go through? My friend is definitely still in denial and is currently too overwhelmed to confront what happened. She wants to pretend that it never happened. At what point in time should I be concerned if she isn’t confronting it?
Thanks so much for your help. I really want to be there for her and help her as much as I can.
