Serious ( medical? ) question

[ipot]

I don't know much about the subject, other than doing a bit of googeling/ect. But I was wondering if any of you guys have any info/first hand experience with Post-Traumatic Stress.

I have a very good friend who is ( by the way he explains it/the way i see him act ) having post traumatic stress. Something very bad happened to him 18 months ago ( completly life changing, but not like death/rape )

Basiclly all he does now is think about the past, wonder what if, and his life is basiclly in a rut right now. He said the only thing that makes him happy is smoking ( pot ) and just relaxing. He said he can get his mind off the past.

Basiclly I'm just wondering what I can do as a friend. I hate to see him like this. He isn't working, going to college, ect. Its like he dosen't want to do anything and is stuck in the past.

What can I do as a friend to help him? His parents know about the event that happened, and just seem to be tip toeing around the situation in general.

Please keep it serious for a bit guys.

[chiznadAZ]

professional help...

[masterrshake]

not much you can really do.. he will have to figure it out for himself...

btw what happened?

[ipot]

ive suggeusted it to him, but he says he won't go.

I just hate seeing this kid so down, I try to do what I can to get him out of the house/relaxed, but thats all I think i can do for now.

[ipot]

[ QUOTE ]
not much you can really do.. he will have to figure it out for himself...

btw what happened?

[/ QUOTE ]


i'm not sure if he has told me everything, but the things that he has mentioned ( cliff noted )

-falsly accused of fraud
-people were going to start to press charges for [censored] he didn't do
-he freaked out
-dropped out of college ( continued living in the dorms )
-just played poker to make as much money as he could, and he was telling me that if he was going to goto jail for something he didn't do, he was going to try to run away to canada w the money he had stashed away ( from poker )
-he eventually found out he wasen't going to be charged with fraud, but this was after dropping out of college and playing poker in the dorms all day ( for 5ish months? )
-his gf broke up with him right after this ( he really loved loved her from what i've gathered.
-he took the money he made to pay off his college loans ( because he dropped out )


thats all i can think of right now, i just feel bad for the kid because i know he is telling the truth and it is just a [censored] situation.

[4_2_it]

For a serious answer head to the Psych forum.

[ipot]

Will do, can you just move the thread 42, or should i remake it there?

[gobbomom]

ipot, it's admirable of you to want to shake your friend out of this. Seriously, a person has to WANT to come out of it or it's not gonna work. In the meantime, guard your own state of mind so you don't get down in the pits with him, ok?

[futuredoc85]

ipot hes going to need professional help. unfortunately its not something most people can just shake off no matter how much support they have from family and friends.

[Jiggymike]

I have no advice to give, but for all the people that dis on Ipot, you should note that he is a really good friend and concerned with the welfare of people he cares about (unless they are <17 yo girls).

But yeah, psych forum.