ManWithAPlan

My friend has been going through a lot lately, and she was raped. She was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. One night she realized that she hadn't had her period since the rape, and thought she was pregnant, but this turned out to be because of the drug they put her on.

She's already seeing a therapist, but I've also been trying to help her through this. The problem is, after the incident with her period, she started scratching herself really bad at night. She filed her nails down and bandaged her hands, but sometimes the bandages come off. She can only see the therapist once a week, and it's getting worse. Yesterday her neighbor woke her from her nap by banging on her door and the front of her shirt was covered in blood because she scratched herself so hard. The therapist said that it's probably because she's subconsciously punishing herself for something.

Her dad abused her when she was young, he beat her pretty badly, and so she has a tendency to blame herself for everything - including the rape.


That's pretty much a nutshell, but I'm hoping someone with some experience can please give me some advice, because this is killing me too.

Thanks so much for taking your time to read this.

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Dilbert1234567

Now I have nothing to compare to what she went through, but when I was growing up, I was (and still am) a light sleeper, when I was 11 or maybe 12, I had terrible psoriasis, and because I was a light sleeper, I would scratch and itch it all through the night leaving me scratched up, my doctor game me some sleeping aids to put me into a deeper sleep and the scratching went away. These days it still happens occasionally, I wake up sometimes in a small bit of blood, but nothing serious.

Gloves may help, or maybe mittens. If you can find some with adjustable wrist sizes, maybe you could fasten them so they can’t be removed with out actually trying. Or if you put some tape around the wrist of the glove they can’t come off with out cutting the tape.

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Cynthetiq

I have very bad eczema during stressed times, sometimes Skogafoss threatens to cover my hands with ovenmitts.

I still sometimes scratch until I bleed... happens rarely but does still happen.

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snowy

Gloves, tighter sleeping clothes that are hard to get under (like spandex), and having someone there when she sleeps are all possibly helpful. Nothing is going to fix this problem but good cognitive-behavioral therapy and a motivation to get better.

My best female friend is a constant scratcher. I always catch her doing it and tell her to stop. She is also a sleep-scratcher, and when we were dorm roommates, I used to wake her up to make her stop scratching. Perhaps if someone could stay over with her and observe her to make sure she isn't scratching that would help her control the behavior.

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Plaid13

only thing i can think of would be have someone stay with her and try to keep a eye on her to stop her when she starts scratching.

ManWithAPlan

The thing that bothers me is that it's not just habitual because of a rash or something, but that it's just a symptom of something else. I mean... she was screaming so loud the guy in the next apartment heard..

I am gonna keep trying her to wear mittens, or latex gloves -- she doesn't seem to want to though =). Thanks guys.

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In the end we are but wisps

Dilbert1234567

maybe she is having nightmares about the experience, and just does not want to tell you about them.

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thingstodo

Man, my heart goes out to you and especially to her. They say time heals all wounds; hopefully time (and therapy) will do the trick here. For now, patience and let the therapy work. And like others said here, buy gloves!!

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Doobers

I'm a disabled war veteran struggling with PTSD. I have severe scratching since my time in service (1990). When I feel stressed or experience a "stressor" or reminder of something terrible I experienced... in the mildest forms of a "panic attack" or "anxiety attack" I find my private areas SEVERELY ITCH. I have gone through many different forms of therapy to resolve this "psychological" itch (rolfing, reflexology, hypnotherapy, accupressure, accupunture, conscious breathing techniques, private and group therapy)... the hypnotherapy has helped me to gain control of the "itch" when I'm awake... but nothing has helped to keep me from scratching at night during terror nightmares. I will wake up with bloody hands. I have tried taping socks to my hands, wearing mittens, wearing gloves... ALL of which make me wake up violently where I have nightmares of being restrained. Doctors have prescribed sleeping medications that either don't work, or drug me out to the point where I wake up with hang-overs. I've tried using other medications that are "beta-blockers" to lower my heart rate to try to diffuse the panic attacks before they happen... but because I struggle from "hypervigillance" it makes me feel like I'm not in control and freaks me out to where I actually have panic attacks as a result of the medication. Now that the scratching has gone on for so many years... it's created scar tissue... and I now suffer from what is known as "Lichen Simplex Chronicus" ...which is a condition of the skin that has been scarred to the point where there is nerve damage and an actual "physical" itch... that I have in conjunction to the "psychological" itch. Now even though I can control the psychological itch, consciously (when I'm awake) I still "itch" physically. Because the scratching is in my "groin" region... it's EXTREMELY painful. I've read that this scratching is a kind of "unconscious" self-destruction without having suicidal intent... a way to redirect pain from emotions or experiences to a physical body part because of the extremely painful emotions, thoughts, or experiences. This makes sense to me. I've used cognitive behavioral therapy as well... and because I've been in group (which I don't really enjoy) and I've taken so many different steps to resolve these issues... I feel I have a strong desire to resolve these issues... but they aren't being resolved. This has been going on now for over 20 years... it's depressing, extremely painful, embarrassing, humiliating, and very very frustrating. I've learned how to keep myself from spiraling into depression after I have a terrible scratching incident... but I can't seem to stop the scratching. I've also attempted using a topical anesthetic which just numbs my scrotum and doesn't make the itch go away in my head when I'm sleeping. Often times I will be aware of the itch consciously where I feel I have worms eating through the skin and wriggling through my scrotum... and will experience dreams of it where I'm struggling to dig them out... only to wake up again with bloody hands.

I have great respect for your friends situation.

Remembering to breathe and try to remain calm through it all has helped greatly. Remember your breathing is like a carburetor on a car... fuel isn't enough... you can't think clearly without oxygen in your blood. Slow deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Trying to think happy thoughts has been helpful. Trying to stay positive.

Remember that THIS is a result of what happened to you... it isn't YOU.

People who offer simple fixes saying "cognitive behavioral therapy with a desire to get well will make you better" ...need to go put themselves on the firing line. Get shot at for a while... take a wound or two... and get back to me after 20 years and let me know how you're doing.

I've learned that it's very unlikely that this will EVER go away... but finding a point of happiness while struggling with the disabilities is the key. Find a way if you can to enjoy your life and treat your wounds as you can and need to. Keep them clean. Develop hobbies and try to distract yourself with fun things.

If anyone has any good ideas... please, let me know.