As important as it is to be present for survivors, remember to set boundaries and take care of yourself. Be as honest as you can about what support you can provide and how much time you have to spend with the survivor. If you have an exam at 10 a.m. tomorrow, you don't have to respond to calls from the survivor at 3 a.m. Remind them of the other resources (such as crisis lines) that are available to them.

Enforcing boundaries can be really hard, because as friends we want to do whatever we can to help. However, it's important to understand that by setting boundaries we can avoid setting false expectations for a survivor. By creating an example of healthy boundary-setting you can help the survivor recover from a situation in which boundaries weren't respected, and avoid letting them down when you're not available to offer support. It's important to understand your limits when providing support and to recognize that there are resources for your friend or family member if you don't feel capable of meeting a survivor's emotional needs. Being the "only person I can talk to" isn't healthy for you or the survivor; they will be better off if they have a broad base of support.