PTSD and How it Hits Home
photo credit - Ben White via unsplash
Millions of people suffer from the effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) each year. While these individuals have their lives disrupted and struggle with their various symptoms, it is important to also recognize the effects this disorder has on the people that love them. For people that are involved in some way with PTSD sufferers, this disorder can present challenges that have lasting effects.
Living with Someone Diagnosed With PTSD
There are a few different ways that PTSD effects our relationships and the other half of them. The people that we love and love us can be negatively impacted by our symptoms as well, though not on a first-hand account. Some ways that our symptoms can impact our relationships are:
Communication Issues – People that struggle with PTSD may have a hard time expressing their feelings and communicating their needs. They may view their issues as a burden and feel that their needs are unreasonable or that they shouldn’t bring them up because others will not understand.
Trust Issues – Traumatic experiences can lead people that have PTSD to have trouble trusting those they care about. These issues can manifest in a couple of different ways such as jealousy, suspiciousness, or being able to confide in them.
Intimacy – Certain traumatic experiences can alter how people react to similar situations in their relationships. This can show up in physical and emotional form. Detachment, physical intimacy and feelings of vulnerability all are common with PTSD sufferers.
Heightened Irritability and Anger – PTSD symptoms include these two feelings. A small disagreement can escalate into a fight due to emotional outburst. This leads to both people feeling isolated and alone in the relationship.
Dependency – In some cases, the person that suffers from PTSD becomes overly dependent on their partner. This leads to an imbalance in the relationship and can have one person feeling drained all the time.
Final Thoughts
Having PTSD is difficult enough, living with someone that suffers from it can be just as difficult. A few takeaways from this are to have open honest communication with each other, understanding from both perspectives and the willingness to try and manage the PTSD symptoms together. If this sounds like you or someone you know, reach out…