Sensitive Subject

Not sure how to start this. But I suppose I should warn people that it deals with rape before you read on..

A very good friend of mine just up and left for "an extended holiday" in England just before Xmas.

At the time I thought this was kind of weird. She said she was going to mend some bridges with her family who live over there. I thought this was just an excuse as I know shes got no hope there and that she would tell me the real reason for going if she wanted in her own time.

Well she did now I'm stumped and worried.

She told me she was raped a couple of months ago by a random person she has never met. She didn't go into too many details. But it's apparently doing her head in. She doesn't sleep.. when she does she has nightmares. She's drinking while taking sleeping pills, anti depressants and masses of pain killers. All the meds are prescribed for genuine reasons but mixing that with alcohol I know isn't smart.

She didn't report it and doesn't want to which I can completely understand. She doesn't want to go to a doc or a psychologist/counsellor or anything like that. As she is one so she thinks she knows it all, which she probably does but clearly she in a bad head space.

But she's got me worried.. and being so far away, no support because her family are a bunch of wackos. And she hasn't had a great time over the past couple of years (one bad thing after another) so I don't want this to tip her over the edge. She's a very smart person and the fact that she's drinking while on those meds isn't smart so I'm not inspired by confidence when she tells me she'll be fine when clearly she isn't.

It's got me really angry to know that another sh*tty thing has happened to her, and I'd love to get ahold of the guy and rip his nuts off for it. But those thoughts aren't overly helpful for her.

I really think she needs to see someone but I have no idea how to get this through to her. I don't mind if she talks to me.. but she isn't really listening to anything I say.

Wow, thats difficult sounds like shes had it pretty rouhg over the past. I think just let her know you are there for you when ever if she ever needs to vent or chat to.

What a horrible, horrible thing for anyone to have to deal with.   You are such a good friend. I hope that she knows that she can turn to you, when she needs to.

She has antidepressants and sleeping pills for something completely unrelated so she already had them.

She doesn't have anyone over there anymore, her family have basically disowned her. All her old friends have left or lost contact. I know she has a good friend in scotland somewhere but that's a fair way away from London where she is right now.

I'm mostly just worried about her drinking while on meds, that's just going to lead to a lot of trouble.

Bother! Was hoping she had seen someone already.
I would have thought the best way to deal with it, is to talk to someone but not really sure who to suggest. Would be difficult for you, being on the other side of the World, to be the only one she talks to. Is she staying alone somewhere or does she flat? Could she join a support group of some sort? Sorry, not really sure what to suggest.