If your friend or loved one is suicidal or thinking about suicide, please call 911 immediately.
Understanding PTSD is a blog intended for friends and loved ones of a person who has been diagnosed with PTSD. While the blog is intended for loved ones, it is written by a person living with PTSD and those with PTSD may find reading the blog helpful in facilitating communication with a friend or loved one. Usually it is difficult for a person with PTSD to communicate their world to a person without PTSD. This blog was born out of a desire to build a bridge over the gap which results from the lack of being able to understand between a person with PTSD and a person without PTSD.
I have found that it is often easier to explain myself to strangers than it is to explain myself to a friend or loved one. I wanted to provide a place for loved ones to ask questions about PTSD and get an answer from someone living with PTSD.
My responses are based solely on my experience of living with PTSD.
My responses are not the words or advice of a professional and should not be substituted for such.
My responses are not a fix or a cure-all for the person living with PTSD or for a relationship with a person living with PTSD.
My hope is that this blog will help facilitate healthy conversation and understanding between those with PTSD and their friends and loved ones.
You may or may not agree with everything I have to say. You may only find a small portion helpful. A common saying in 12-step meetings is “take what you like and leave the rest”. I invite you to do the same with what you read in this blog. Please keep in mind that what you don’t find helpful may be very helpful to someone else.
If your friend or loved one has PTSD, I highly recommend they seek professional help if they are not already doing so.
Understanding PTSD is a blog intended for friends and loved ones of a person who has been diagnosed with PTSD. While the blog is intended for loved ones, it is written by a person living with PTSD and those with PTSD may find reading the blog helpful in facilitating communication with a friend or loved one. Usually it is difficult for a person with PTSD to communicate their world to a person without PTSD. This blog was born out of a desire to build a bridge over the gap which results from the lack of being able to understand between a person with PTSD and a person without PTSD.
I have found that it is often easier to explain myself to strangers than it is to explain myself to a friend or loved one. I wanted to provide a place for loved ones to ask questions about PTSD and get an answer from someone living with PTSD.
My responses are based solely on my experience of living with PTSD.
My responses are not the words or advice of a professional and should not be substituted for such.
My responses are not a fix or a cure-all for the person living with PTSD or for a relationship with a person living with PTSD.
My hope is that this blog will help facilitate healthy conversation and understanding between those with PTSD and their friends and loved ones.
You may or may not agree with everything I have to say. You may only find a small portion helpful. A common saying in 12-step meetings is “take what you like and leave the rest”. I invite you to do the same with what you read in this blog. Please keep in mind that what you don’t find helpful may be very helpful to someone else.
If your friend or loved one has PTSD, I highly recommend they seek professional help if they are not already doing so.
