{"formatVersion":"1.1","id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery","path":"/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery","url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery","title":"How can my best friend heal from harassment?","family":"Answers detail","description":"A reader describes a friend’s persistent frightening images and fear after sexual harassment at school.","language":"en-US","access":{"audience":"custom-shared-preview","indexable":true},"provenance":{"sourceUrl":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery","wordpressId":"6121","contentCompleteness":"complete","dateScope":"original-source"},"authors":[{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/mark-dombeck#person","name":"Mark Vigil Dombeck, Ph.D.","url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/mark-dombeck"}],"reviewer":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/jesse-hanson#person","name":"Jesse Hanson, Ph.D.","url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/jesse-hanson"},"dates":{"datePublished":"2025-07-18T08:49:27Z","dateModified":"2026-06-13T12:33:49Z","lastReviewed":"2025-09-15"},"content":{"html":"<nav class=\"breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\"><ol><li><a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/\">Home</a></li><li><a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers\">Answers</a></li><li><span aria-current=\"page\">How can my best friend heal from harassment?</span></li></ol></nav><div class=\"article-page answer-page\" data-answer-template=\"conversation\"><header class=\"answer-heading article-heading\"><a class=\"answer-back\" href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers\">Answers</a><h1>How can my best friend heal from harassment?</h1><div class=\"answer-credits\"><a class=\"answer-credit-person\" href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/mark-dombeck\"><img src=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/assets/wordpress/9364.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" loading=\"lazy\"><span><span class=\"answer-credit-role\">Written by</span><span class=\"answer-credit-name\">Mark Vigil Dombeck, Ph.D.</span></span></a><a class=\"answer-credit-person\" href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/jesse-hanson\"><img src=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/assets/wordpress/9210.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" loading=\"lazy\"><span><span class=\"answer-credit-role\">Medically reviewed by</span><span class=\"answer-credit-name\">Jesse Hanson, Ph.D.</span></span></a></div><dl class=\"answer-heading-dates\"><div><dt>Published</dt><dd><time datetime=\"2025-07-18T08:49:27Z\">July 18, 2025</time></dd></div><div><dt>Updated</dt><dd><time datetime=\"2026-06-13T12:33:49Z\">June 13, 2026</time></dd></div><div><dt>Reviewed</dt><dd><time datetime=\"2025-09-15\">September 15, 2025</time></dd></div></dl></header><nav class=\"answer-nav\" aria-label=\"Answer navigation\"><a href=\"#summary\">Summary</a><a href=\"#question\">Question</a><a href=\"#answer\">Answer</a></nav><article class=\"prose\" id=\"article-content\" data-answer-thread aria-label=\"Reader question and professional response\"><section class=\"answer-overview\" id=\"summary\" aria-labelledby=\"summary-title\"><h2 id=\"summary-title\">Summary</h2><figure class=\"answer-question-image\"><img src=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/assets/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery-20261003.webp\" alt=\"A rolled yoga mat and water bottle beside a bright window\" width=\"1000\" height=\"667\" fetchpriority=\"high\"></figure><p>A reader describes a friend’s persistent frightening images and fear after sexual harassment at school. They ask how the friend can recover and what support might help.</p><p>The response raises trauma-related symptoms as one possibility while emphasizing that a qualified professional needs to assess the friend rather than diagnosing from the letter.</p><p>It discusses psychotherapy and other support that may help rebuild a sense of safety and confidence, noting that recovery involves reducing the impact of memories rather than erasing them.</p></section><div class=\"answer-originals\" id=\"original-conversation\"><div class=\"answer-originals-body\"><section class=\"answer-post answer-question\" id=\"question\" aria-labelledby=\"question-person\"><div class=\"answer-avatar answer-reader\" aria-hidden=\"true\">?</div><div class=\"answer-post-content\"><header class=\"answer-person\"><h2 id=\"question-person\">Question</h2><span>Reader · Identity withheld</span></header><p>One of my friends was <a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/abuse\" class=\"article-inline-link\">sexually harassed</a> in school and now it is all she can think about. She is petrified that a man is going to rape her and all day and night it is all she can think about.</p>\n<p>She says she has horrible images in her head of getting kidnapped and then raped and she wonders if she is going crazy. She knows that this isn’t normal behavior.</p>\n<p>What should she do to get these images out of her mind? Is there anything I can do to help her?</p></div></section><section class=\"answer-post answer-response\" id=\"answer\" aria-labelledby=\"response-person\"><a class=\"answer-avatar\" href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/mark-dombeck\" aria-label=\"View Mark Vigil Dombeck, Ph.D. profile\"><img src=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/assets/wordpress/9364.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"44\" height=\"44\" loading=\"lazy\"></a><div class=\"answer-post-content\"><header class=\"answer-person\"><h2 id=\"response-person\">Answer</h2><span>Mark Vigil Dombeck, Ph.D.</span></header><p>Your friend may be dealing with something in the <a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/ptsd\" class=\"article-inline-link\">post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)</a> spectrum, although only a <a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people\" class=\"article-inline-link\">qualified mental health doctor</a> can say for sure. I’d recommend she get herself evaluated by a competent mental health doctor to learn whether this or some other treatable condition may be associated with her suffering.</p>\n<p>PTSD and related conditions occur when someone is exposed to a <a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/trauma-complex-ptsd\" class=\"article-inline-link\">traumatic experience</a> (death or death-like, or self-concept shattering) and cannot come to terms with that experience in the due course of living thereafter. Severe anxiety and sometimes dissociation symptoms can occur.</p>\n<p>Treatment (<a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/medications\" class=\"article-inline-link\">medicines</a> and <a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/psychotherapy\" class=\"article-inline-link\">psychotherapy</a>) are available and can be helpful, but there is no ‘cure’ for memory.</p>\n<p>The way out is ultimately through, meaning that while symptoms can be suppressed with medication and supportive interventions, to truly break free of the <a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/trauma\" class=\"article-inline-link\">trauma</a>, it is more or less necessary to gradually come to terms with it, to rebuild your shattered sense of security in the world, and to learn to live your life in spite of the fact that life is a risky business. <a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/importance-and-dimensions-of-self-esteem\" class=\"article-inline-link\">Self-confidence building</a> activities such as martial arts, or activities that help people reconnect with their physical bodies in a calming way (e.g., yoga) can sometimes be helpful too.</p></div></section></div></div></article><div class=\"answer-endmatter\"><section class=\"article-expert answer-expert-card\" aria-label=\"Subject matter expert\" data-expert-kind=\"related\"><a class=\"answer-card-avatar\" href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/roger-watts\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><img src=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/assets/wordpress/18538.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"64\" height=\"64\" loading=\"lazy\"></a><div class=\"answer-expert-copy\"><p class=\"article-bio-role\">Subject matter expert</p><h2><a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/roger-watts\">Roger P. Watts <span class=\"expert-credentials\">Ph.D.</span></a></h2><p class=\"article-expert-focus\">Addiction therapy and recovery</p><a class=\"profile-experience-link experience-button\" href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/roger-watts\">View experience</a></div></section><section class=\"article-topic-community\" aria-label=\"Related communities\"><img class=\"topic-community-banner\" src=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/assets/library/editorial-14503.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" loading=\"lazy\"><p class=\"topic-community-label\">Related communities</p><h2>Recovery</h2><p>Share perspectives on recovery, change, and the many forms of support along the way.</p><a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/community/recovery\">Explore community</a></section><section class=\"answer-author-card answer-reviewer-card\"><a class=\"answer-card-avatar\" href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/mark-dombeck\"><img src=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/assets/wordpress/9364.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"64\" height=\"64\" loading=\"lazy\"></a><div><span class=\"answer-reviewer-label\">Author</span><h2><a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/mark-dombeck\">Mark Vigil Dombeck, Ph.D.</a></h2><p>Mark Vigil Dombeck, Ph.D. is a trauma-informed psychologist with over 30 years of experience helping people navigate mental health challenges.</p><a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/mark-dombeck\" class=\"profile-experience-link experience-button\">View experience</a></div></section><section class=\"answer-author-card answer-reviewer-card\"><a class=\"answer-card-avatar\" href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/jesse-hanson\"><img src=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/assets/wordpress/9210.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"64\" height=\"64\" loading=\"lazy\"></a><div><span class=\"answer-reviewer-label\">Medical reviewer</span><h2><a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/jesse-hanson\">Jesse Hanson, Ph.D.</a></h2><p>Jesse Hanson, Ph.D., is a clinical and somatic psychologist with over 20 years of experience in neuropsychology, specializing in integrative, mind-body…</p><a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/jesse-hanson\" class=\"profile-experience-link experience-button\">View experience</a></div></section><section class=\"answer-related\"><h2>Related questions</h2><a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/i-have-a-crush-on-my-husbands-friend\">How do I handle having a crush on my husband’s friend?</a><a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/help-your-friend-advice-to-make-a-difference\">How can I help my friend without making things worse?</a><a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/advice-for-delusional-friend\">How do I help a bipolar friend who has lost touch with reality?</a></section></div></div>","text":"HomeAnswersHow can my best friend heal from harassment?AnswersHow can my best friend heal from harassment?Written byMark Vigil Dombeck, Ph.D.Medically reviewed byJesse Hanson, Ph.D.PublishedJuly 18, 2025UpdatedJune 13, 2026ReviewedSeptember 15, 2025SummaryQuestionAnswerSummaryA reader describes a friend’s persistent frightening images and fear after sexual harassment at school. They ask how the friend can recover and what support might help.The response raises trauma-related symptoms as one possibility while emphasizing that a qualified professional needs to assess the friend rather than diagnosing from the letter.It discusses psychotherapy and other support that may help rebuild a sense of safety and confidence, noting that recovery involves reducing the impact of memories rather than erasing them.?QuestionReader · Identity withheldOne of my friends was sexually harassed in school and now it is all she can think about. She is petrified that a man is going to rape her and all day and night it is all she can think about. She says she has horrible images in her head of getting kidnapped and then raped and she wonders if she is going crazy. She knows that this isn’t normal behavior. What should she do to get these images out of her mind? Is there anything I can do to help her?AnswerMark Vigil Dombeck, Ph.D.Your friend may be dealing with something in the post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) spectrum, although only a qualified mental health doctor can say for sure. I’d recommend she get herself evaluated by a competent mental health doctor to learn whether this or some other treatable condition may be associated with her suffering. PTSD and related conditions occur when someone is exposed to a traumatic experience (death or death-like, or self-concept shattering) and cannot come to terms with that experience in the due course of living thereafter. Severe anxiety and sometimes dissociation symptoms can occur. Treatment (medicines and psychotherapy) are available and can be helpful, but there is no ‘cure’ for memory. The way out is ultimately through, meaning that while symptoms can be suppressed with medication and supportive interventions, to truly break free of the trauma, it is more or less necessary to gradually come to terms with it, to rebuild your shattered sense of security in the world, and to learn to live your life in spite of the fact that life is a risky business. Self-confidence building activities such as martial arts, or activities that help people reconnect with their physical bodies in a calming way (e.g., yoga) can sometimes be helpful too.Subject matter expertRoger P. Watts Ph.D.Addiction therapy and recoveryView experienceRelated communitiesRecoveryShare perspectives on recovery, change, and the many forms of support along the way.Explore communityAuthorMark Vigil Dombeck, Ph.D.Mark Vigil Dombeck, Ph.D. is a trauma-informed psychologist with over 30 years of experience helping people navigate mental health challenges.View experienceMedical reviewerJesse Hanson, Ph.D.Jesse Hanson, Ph.D., is a clinical and somatic psychologist with over 20 years of experience in neuropsychology, specializing in integrative, mind-body…View experienceRelated questionsHow do I handle having a crush on my husband’s friend?How can I help my friend without making things worse?How do I help a bipolar friend who has lost touch with reality?","wordCount":512},"schema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/#organization","name":"MentalHealth.com","url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/#website","url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/","name":"MentalHealth.com","inLanguage":"en-US","publisher":{"@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/#organization"}},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Answers","item":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How can my best friend heal from harassment?","item":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery"}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#primaryimage","url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/assets/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery-20261003.webp","contentUrl":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/assets/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery-20261003.webp","width":1000,"height":667,"encodingFormat":"image/webp","caption":"A rolled yoga mat and water bottle beside a bright window"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/mark-dombeck#person","name":"Mark Vigil Dombeck, Ph.D.","url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/mark-dombeck","jobTitle":"Doctor","image":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/assets/wordpress/9364.jpg","sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-dombeck-phd-530a573/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/jesse-hanson#person","name":"Jesse Hanson, Ph.D.","url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/jesse-hanson","jobTitle":"Clinical Affairs Director","image":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/assets/wordpress/9210.jpg","sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-hanson-phd-7215216/"]},{"@type":"Article","@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#article","url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery","headline":"How can my best friend heal from harassment?","description":"A reader describes a friend’s persistent frightening images and fear after sexual harassment at school.","wordCount":389,"mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#webpage"},"publisher":{"@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/#organization"},"articleSection":"Answers","inLanguage":"en-US","datePublished":"2025-07-18T08:49:27Z","dateModified":"2026-06-13T12:33:49Z","author":[{"@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/mark-dombeck#person"}],"image":{"@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#primaryimage"},"hasPart":[{"@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#question"},{"@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#answer"}]},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#question","name":"How can my best friend heal from harassment?","text":"One of my friends was sexually harassed in school and now it is all she can think about. She is petrified that a man is going to rape her and all day and night it is all she can think about. She says she has horrible images in her head of getting kidnapped and then raped and she wonders if she is going crazy. She knows that this isn’t normal behavior. What should she do to get these images out of her mind? Is there anything I can do to help her?","acceptedAnswer":{"@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#answer"},"inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#question","answerCount":1},{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#answer","text":"Your friend may be dealing with something in the post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) spectrum, although only a qualified mental health doctor can say for sure. I’d recommend she get herself evaluated by a competent mental health doctor to learn whether this or some other treatable condition may be associated with her suffering. PTSD and related conditions occur when someone is exposed to a traumatic experience (death or death-like, or self-concept shattering) and cannot come to terms with that experience in the due course of living thereafter. Severe anxiety and sometimes dissociation symptoms can occur. Treatment (medicines and psychotherapy) are available and can be helpful, but there is no ‘cure’ for memory. The way out is ultimately through, meaning that while symptoms can be suppressed with medication and supportive interventions, to truly break free of the trauma, it is more or less necessary to gradually come to terms with it, to rebuild your shattered sense of security in the world, and to learn to live your life in spite of the fact that life is a risky business. Self-confidence building activities such as martial arts, or activities that help people reconnect with their physical bodies in a calming way (e.g., yoga) can sometimes be helpful too.","author":{"@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/mark-dombeck#person"},"inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#answer"},{"@type":"MedicalWebPage","@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#webpage","url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery","name":"How can my best friend heal from harassment?","description":"A reader describes a friend’s persistent frightening images and fear after sexual harassment at 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byMark Vigil Dombeck, Ph.D."},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/jesse-hanson","label":"Medically reviewed byJesse Hanson, Ph.D."},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#summary","label":"Summary"},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#question","label":"Question"},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#answer","label":"Answer"},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/abuse","label":"sexually harassed"},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/mark-dombeck","label":""},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/ptsd","label":"post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)"},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people","label":"qualified mental health doctor"},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/trauma-complex-ptsd","label":"traumatic experience"},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/medications","label":"medicines"},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/psychotherapy","label":"psychotherapy"},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/trauma","label":"trauma"},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/importance-and-dimensions-of-self-esteem","label":"Self-confidence building"},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/roger-watts","label":""},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/roger-watts","label":"Roger P. Watts Ph.D."},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/roger-watts","label":"View experience"},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/community/recovery","label":"Explore community"},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/mark-dombeck","label":""},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/mark-dombeck","label":"Mark Vigil Dombeck, Ph.D."},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/mark-dombeck","label":"View experience"},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/jesse-hanson","label":""},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/jesse-hanson","label":"Jesse Hanson, Ph.D."},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/jesse-hanson","label":"View experience"},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/i-have-a-crush-on-my-husbands-friend","label":"How do I handle having a crush on my husband’s friend?"},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/help-your-friend-advice-to-make-a-difference","label":"How can I help my friend without making things worse?"},{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/advice-for-delusional-friend","label":"How do I help a bipolar friend who has lost touch with reality?"}],"conversation":{"status":"complete","summary":{"question":"A reader describes a friend’s persistent frightening images and fear after sexual harassment at school. They ask how the friend can recover and what support might help.","answer":"The response raises trauma-related symptoms as one possibility while emphasizing that a qualified professional needs to assess the friend rather than diagnosing from the letter. It discusses psychotherapy and other support that may help rebuild a sense of safety and confidence, noting that recovery involves reducing the impact of memories rather than erasing them."},"sourceUrl":"https://www.mentalhealth.com/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery","sourceReviewer":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/jesse-hanson#person","name":"Jesse Hanson, Ph.D.","url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/jesse-hanson"},"question":{"id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#question","url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#question","html":"<p>One of my friends was <a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/abuse\">sexually harassed</a> in school and now it is all she can think about. She is petrified that a man is going to rape her and all day and night it is all she can think about.</p>\n<p>She says she has horrible images in her head of getting kidnapped and then raped and she wonders if she is going crazy. She knows that this isn’t normal behavior.</p>\n<p>What should she do to get these images out of her mind? Is there anything I can do to help her?</p>","text":"One of my friends was sexually harassed in school and now it is all she can think about. She is petrified that a man is going to rape her and all day and night it is all she can think about. She says she has horrible images in her head of getting kidnapped and then raped and she wonders if she is going crazy. She knows that this isn’t normal behavior. What should she do to get these images out of her mind? Is there anything I can do to help her?"},"answer":{"id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#answer","url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery#answer","html":"<p>Your friend may be dealing with something in the <a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/ptsd\">post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)</a> spectrum, although only a <a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people\">qualified mental health doctor</a> can say for sure. I’d recommend she get herself evaluated by a competent mental health doctor to learn whether this or some other treatable condition may be associated with her suffering.</p>\n<p>PTSD and related conditions occur when someone is exposed to a <a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/trauma-complex-ptsd\">traumatic experience</a> (death or death-like, or self-concept shattering) and cannot come to terms with that experience in the due course of living thereafter. Severe anxiety and sometimes dissociation symptoms can occur.</p>\n<p>Treatment (<a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/medications\">medicines</a> and <a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/psychotherapy\">psychotherapy</a>) are available and can be helpful, but there is no ‘cure’ for memory.</p>\n<p>The way out is ultimately through, meaning that while symptoms can be suppressed with medication and supportive interventions, to truly break free of the <a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/trauma\">trauma</a>, it is more or less necessary to gradually come to terms with it, to rebuild your shattered sense of security in the world, and to learn to live your life in spite of the fact that life is a risky business. <a href=\"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/library/importance-and-dimensions-of-self-esteem\">Self-confidence building</a> activities such as martial arts, or activities that help people reconnect with their physical bodies in a calming way (e.g., yoga) can sometimes be helpful too.</p>","text":"Your friend may be dealing with something in the post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) spectrum, although only a qualified mental health doctor can say for sure. I’d recommend she get herself evaluated by a competent mental health doctor to learn whether this or some other treatable condition may be associated with her suffering. PTSD and related conditions occur when someone is exposed to a traumatic experience (death or death-like, or self-concept shattering) and cannot come to terms with that experience in the due course of living thereafter. Severe anxiety and sometimes dissociation symptoms can occur. Treatment (medicines and psychotherapy) are available and can be helpful, but there is no ‘cure’ for memory. The way out is ultimately through, meaning that while symptoms can be suppressed with medication and supportive interventions, to truly break free of the trauma, it is more or less necessary to gradually come to terms with it, to rebuild your shattered sense of security in the world, and to learn to live your life in spite of the fact that life is a risky business. Self-confidence building activities such as martial arts, or activities that help people reconnect with their physical bodies in a calming way (e.g., yoga) can sometimes be helpful too.","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/mark-dombeck#person","name":"Mark Vigil Dombeck, Ph.D.","url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/people/mark-dombeck"}},"summaryScope":"Editorial overview of the original question and response; original review dates apply to the source conversation."},"presentation":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-03","template":"answer-conversation","imageGeneratedAt":"2026-10-03"},"seo":{"title":"How can my best friend heal from harassment? | MentalHealth.com","description":"A reader describes a friend’s persistent frightening images and fear after sexual harassment at school.","canonical":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/answers/healing-from-harassment-tips-advice-for-recovery","robots":"index,follow","socialImage":{"url":"https://mentalhealth-v2.workspace-454808.chatgpt.site/assets/social-tiles-20261006-dots/answers.png","width":1200,"height":630,"alt":"MentalHealth.com — Answers","type":"image/png","sitemapGroup":"answers"}},"subjectMatterExpert":{"name":"Roger P. Watts, Ph.D.","url":"/people/roger-watts","profileId":"6374","topic":"addiction","focus":"Addiction therapy and recovery","selectionBasis":"Documented expertise in the existing published profile","reviewAttribution":false},"navigation":[],"relatedCommunity":{"community":"/community/recovery","basis":"topic match"},"collections":[]}