It’s really, really, really hard to support loved ones who go through trauma. I know that from so many intersecting perspectives, I might as well be an unsolved Rubik’s Cube of possible advice scenarios.
I find it hard to know how to give good, concrete advice to people who are not clients or customers of my advocacy services in a formal setting. At least sometimes. When it involves good friends who bring up stories about themselves or their other loved ones, the situation is vastly different than it would be if I were sitting with them in an emergency shelter or counselor’s office. Many new advocates are taught to consider what they would say to friends but I don’t necessarily find that advice helpful. I talk to friends with a very different sort of emotional investment than I use to talk to someone with whom I don’t have an ongoing personal relationship. It make sense, of course, because my personal involvement is very different.
I don’t have any particular deep bits of advice or self-care on handling these things right now. This is more about sharing my experience. It’s rough and I sympathize with anybody who has to go through such.
the black window 