I want to throw this out there in the hope that some of you may have had similar experience and perhaps have advice to offer...
I know a young woman (30) who is ADHD; I believe also that she could be on the spectrum, and so her behavior does swing quite dramatically with very little triggering.
She has had a terrible life, being passed from pillar to post within the social care sector as a child (her father put her into this after her mother died as he couldn't cope) and as a result she was also subjected to a number of sexual abuses due to lack of care from social services.
Her father then died a couple of years ago, effectively leaving her alone in the world with no family (apart from odd relatives who she never had any connection to and doesn't want to make contact with as she believes that they don't want to know her).
What few friends she has / had, have done nothing but treat her badly and for want of a better expression have abused her, everything from lying, misleading, using, stealing from & in some instances being violent towards her.
She knows that she is alone in the world, and it is absolutely heartbreaking when she breaks down over this.
I have known her for several years and have basically become like the father figure in her life, but the unfortunate thing is that the pressure on me from her has increased and has become a tad overwhelming.
I have my own life to lead, but I care about her and don't want to see her sink without a trace.
Friends have pointed out the obvious that she is a draining influence, and I do understand where they are coming from, but (to my own detriment) I am not one to abandon a friend in need.
I have done numerous things for her in order to try and help her move on, ranging from getting her in with the local mental health services (utterly useless), reporting her abuse to the Police via a 'historic complaints' section on the .gov website (doesn't want to pursue the issue after her initial Police interview out of fear of re-living the incidents in a court), tried to get her active in ADHD social groups in the hope that she can make new friends (but she has found the whole thing overwhelming and has avoided making any inroads).
I desperately want her to generate a new bunch of friends who will treat her as a human being and show her care and respect.
As I have made her aware, I wont be around forever and want her to have new people who she can grow with.
Does anyone have a similar story? Can anyone offer advice on moving her forward? Recommended groups etc?
Thanks in advance!