@caseyn2020 I've been thinking of your daughter and how worried you must be about her. This is a difficult space in time for both of you. I'm glad that she is being seen by a trauma-informed mental health therapist who she connects with. This is so important as the years of experience of the therapist and the connection with your daughter is just as important as the techniques that the therapist uses. Most of all, it is important that your daughter is listened to, feels heard, and her therapist does not "judge" her for what has happened or choices your daughter has made since the original trauma.

I think that your daughter's use of alcohol and weed should be watched. Unfortunately, it does happen that people who have been through what your daughter experienced try to numb themselves from the emotional pain with drugs and alcohol. This can turn, in time, into yet another thing to deal with - addiction. It doesn't happen to everyone but it can happen so I hope her therapist knows about your daughter's drug and alcohol use so this can be discussed in their sessions.

There is a really good website on trauma from the National Center for PTSD. While this Center is administered by the US Veterans Administration the information is relevant for all traumatic events as are the diagnostic information and treatments. The website explains the different types of trauma including sexual abuse, types of treatments that have been shown to be effective through research, and of course the important of seeing a therapist. I hope that reading this will be helpful to you.

National Center for PTSD

-- https://www.ptsd.va.gov/

Please write me a private message if I can be helpful to you.

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