Is There Anything I Can Do?

A sensitive hands-on guide to helping friends survive difficult times explains the different ways people can react to trials, showing when gentle compassion is the appropriate response and when "tough love" might be more effective. Tour.

If you have a friend

-- who is caring for a handicapped child or adult

-- who is depressed, possibly suicidal

-- who (or whose spouse) is terminally ill

-- who is a substance abuser

-- who is being abused or has been raped

-- who is miserable because of a problem child

then you should read this book. Everyone who is a friend to someone will confront one or more of these situations during his lifetime.

This book takes us beyond the question "Is there anything I can do?" and tells us how best to truly help our friends. Often we may be so overcome with our own grief or feeling of helplessness that we unwittingly desert our friends just when they need us most -- or we blurt out insensitive generalizations such as "Time heals all wounds" or "I know how you feel."

Sol Gordon shows us how different people react differently to crises, how to understand how our friends are coping with their situations, and respond accordingly. The proper response can be anything from "tough love" to a gentle reminder that we are always available to our friends if they need to talk. Written with a straightforward, hands-on approach and empathetic tone, Is There Anything I Can Do? is an invaluable book for everyone who wants to be a good friend.