Miss_A,

Telling someone with PTSD who is having flashback type memories or dreams to think happy thoughts is not appropriate.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is quite serious in its long lasting impacts in those who deal with it.

There are many sites linked above in the resource directory that give more information about the symptoms of PTSD.

I understand wanting to be supportive and help others and one of the first things you can do to be of help is to better educate yourself on these disorders and diseases with the links above as one starting point. Being able to understand that these folks can no more think happy thoughts to stop a bad dream than you could make yourself fly might be one way for you to begin looking at this as the disorder it is and the very real symptoms people live with.

Your enthusiam to support is a good quality to have. Learning to help yourself first so that you're better able to offer help to others is something that most learn in time. You're young enough to learn that one earlier than most. Now, practice!!

kindly,
__zh