Many people who have gone through significantly stressful life experiences can sometimes have trouble getting their lives in order afterward. Sometimes these overwhelming feelings of stress or frustration may not make sense or can feel manageable. A person who is just coming back to normal life after these kinds of experiences can have feelings of isolation, loneliness, or that no one can understand their life or experiences. Stress or being exposed to extended periods of stressful circumstances can be more intense for some individuals than others, and make it hard to adjust to normal life again. If you know someone who is experiencing something like this, there are ways you can help. Here are three possibilities to consider.

Role-playing is a method of exploring emotions by creating scenarios where those emotions can be played out. A person who is coping with the stresses of life after they’ve had a hard time often doesn’t understand what is at the root of the problem. According to Sandbox Learning, role-playing can be particularly helpful for children in managing stress. Through role-playing exercises, discoveries can be made about what is going on in the subconscious mind. Role-playing is often used to treat phobias, and the same practice can be put to use for a person who suffers from feelings of stress, isolation, and more. It allows the participant to become “someone else” through improvisational scenes in which newly learned coping mechanisms can be put into practice. These exercises are often extremely revelatory.

Aromatherapy has been helpful with the management of stress and anxious feelings. Certain scents have a calming effect, and essential oils are a good way to release those scents. Essential oils are often used in aromatherapy, and sold by companies like doTERRA. Some people believe that essential oils are 50-70x more powerful than herbs. A little goes a long way. Aromatherapy utilizes these scents as a way of redirecting focus on the calming influence provided by the aroma. If smelling something delicious being cooked in the kitchen puts you in a good mood, you’ve experienced a form of aromatherapy.

It is important to let the affected person in your life know that you’re standing by to offer support. However, there are limits to what you can provide with regard to cognitive behavioral therapies. This why you should encourage your loved one to seek out trained professionals in this area.

You also might consider suggesting to the person that they get in contact with organizations or groups that can help them get the care they need and the community support to help them be as successful as they can be. According to Mental Health America, sharing your stories with a support group can be very helpful in reducing feelings of loneliness because you don’t feel as alone in your experiences. A support group can also sometimes help put people in contact with professionals in the geographical area who can offer a wide array of counseling options.