How to help a traumatized friend?
April 30, 2012 10:21 AM Subscribe
Help me help a friend dealing with trauma/mental health/addiction issues in Georgia.
I'll try to keep this short. I recently had to get a friend of mine out of the emergency room. I hadn't seen her in years, and her life is a mess. She is struggling with addiction and mental health problems, and was recently tossed out of rehab for not following the rules (she did not relapse and is still clean).
To make matters worse, before she went to rehab she was beaten, raped, robbed and left for dead. She is physically, mentally and emotionally traumatized. I'm not sure what kind of crisis counseling she has had, and she willl not talk to the police because she was attacked in a small town and apparently her attacker is well connected. She cannot return to her family in that town because A) they are very upset and B) her attacker is there and she would not be safe.
Right now I am working with my friend and her mother to try and help get her food stamps and Medicaid because she is on a lot of medication for her mental health problems. Beyond this, however, I am unsure what, if anything, I should be doing. Beyond offering to take her to NA meetings, I'm not sure there's much else I can do. I would welcome any reccomendations for specific organizations that could be of assistance (I'm in Atlanta, GA), or general resources for dealing with a traumatized individual, as I feel a little out of my depth. Thanks.
I'll try to keep this short. I recently had to get a friend of mine out of the emergency room. I hadn't seen her in years, and her life is a mess. She is struggling with addiction and mental health problems, and was recently tossed out of rehab for not following the rules (she did not relapse and is still clean).
To make matters worse, before she went to rehab she was beaten, raped, robbed and left for dead. She is physically, mentally and emotionally traumatized. I'm not sure what kind of crisis counseling she has had, and she willl not talk to the police because she was attacked in a small town and apparently her attacker is well connected. She cannot return to her family in that town because A) they are very upset and B) her attacker is there and she would not be safe.
Right now I am working with my friend and her mother to try and help get her food stamps and Medicaid because she is on a lot of medication for her mental health problems. Beyond this, however, I am unsure what, if anything, I should be doing. Beyond offering to take her to NA meetings, I'm not sure there's much else I can do. I would welcome any reccomendations for specific organizations that could be of assistance (I'm in Atlanta, GA), or general resources for dealing with a traumatized individual, as I feel a little out of my depth. Thanks.
Have her call 211, social services clearinghouse hotline.
posted by lockestockbarrel at 11:23 AM on April 30, 2012
posted by lockestockbarrel at 11:23 AM on April 30, 2012
Georgia Crisis & Access Line 1-800-715-4225, as PeppahCat points out.
It sounds like community-based mental health care might be appropriate for her; this page shows the various Community Service Boards (CSBs) that serve individual Georgia counties.
posted by catlet at 2:55 PM on April 30, 2012
It sounds like community-based mental health care might be appropriate for her; this page shows the various Community Service Boards (CSBs) that serve individual Georgia counties.
posted by catlet at 2:55 PM on April 30, 2012
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You might also try looking through the AARDVARC site, as they could have additional resources or info that GCAL doesn't have.
Also, I would make sure any medications she uses that can be generic brand are filled as such. Walmart pharmacy has a wonderful list of their very cheap medications, and I'd definitely check out their list and all their info in case anything there would be something she needs. The pharmacists there would also be able to give you any pricing information, etc.
The list of support groups, hotlines, etc. here could be useful as well.
And in all honesty, any doctor worth their salt should be able to give you some suggestions too. If you have a physician or doctor you trust that you see, you might make an appointment with them, just to explain the situation and that you need guidance with where to go and what can be done for your friend.
I hope everything gets straightened out for both of you...I shudder to think what this woman has been through. You are an amazing person and friend for helping her during this time.
posted by PeppahCat at 11:11 AM on April 30, 2012