Thank you so much. The kind reactions really help me feeling better about it. I really hope it helps someone!

Thank you so much! I am very lucky with where I live. There are lots of beautiful forests here!

Yes, I agree! My physiotherapist explained to me that this can have to do with your level of stress. If it is already extreme, your body cannot deal with with the extra increase in stress that running creates. Pushing yourself can in that case further disregulate your nervous system and walking is better.

I had the same experience. I think exercise works for a lot of people, but not for everyone. The people who it does not work for het pressured into doing it anyway, which is harmful. In my case, my stress levels were consistently extreme and exercise would put it into an even higher zone where my body was unable to deal with it. All the pressuring me into exercising really harmed me. It took me years until a specialist explained this to me and all this time I felt like a failure and I tortured myself with exercise.

I missed that. That might make a difference.

This person has not responded yet and I do not know the situation locally, but they might mean a counselor or someone like that. Usually colleges have therapists available for students. It might not be the case that they have the right expertise for this, but they can help you find someone that is right for this situation as well. So that might be a good starting point. If that does not work, you can just search a therapist online and contact them.

In case of sexual abuse, you could also go to hospital or a doctor there and they should be able to help you as well and treat any physical wounds also. However, I am not sure how that works where you live.

So, I think the first best step is to see whether there is a therapist at your college and contact them. If that does not work, just search online for other therapists. If there is physical harm, go to a doctor or hospital. Does that help?

No problem. I hope it will work out for you and your friend. It might be difficult, but it is possible to heal from almost anything with the right help and a space to feel safe.

I have never been to the US, so I have no idea whether it is good to contact authorities. I hope someone else will answer that question.

I am happy for your friend that they have you to support them. I think the fact that you are there for them and that you listen to them is very important and helpful, especially the listening part. You need to focus on making your friend feel save.

In addition, I think this situation requires also some professional help. It sounds very serious and complex and not something the both of you can just solve by yourselves. I think an important thing you can do for your friend is to get them to a therapist or other professional who can treat them and find a way out of this situation. It is the same as when you break a leg or something like that. In a situation with physical trauma, you need a friend to support you and help you deal with it. But you also need a doctor to fix it. It is the same with psychological trauma. So, please get your friend professional help.

Lekker stom dat ze het gelijk verwijderden. :-(

I think it would be viewed as stealing the bikes. However, there was no way to give the bikes back to the people that owned them and we were cleaning the canals (we tried to throw anything else we found that was not usable in the trash, if possible). So, it shouldn't have been illegal.

You actually found it. I was too lazy, bit I still wanted to know. Thanks!

I can understand what you mean to say, I think. For example, cognitive behavioral therapy aims to change the way in which people suffering from depression think in order to cure them. It can be quite effective. However, in many cases with major depression different therapies, trauma treatment or medication is also required. In the worst cases, someone might need electroshocks.

I think the issue is that people with depression and people with eating disorders often get blamed for it and they often blame themselves. They are legitimately ill and it is not their fault, just like having any other condition is not your fault. However, due to society's message of 'just say no' to depressive thoughts or food, they might keep on blaming themselves and feel like they are a failure and should just try harder. This can make them just fall deeper in the pit they are in, instead of getting the treatment they need.

I think the last part is not what you meant, but it sounded a bit that way.