5 Ways To Work Around Challenges With A Partner Suffering From PTSD

From always lending an ear to lending a shoulder to cry on, always be there for your partner, especially when they’re at their lowest points.

PTSD is post-traumatic stress disorder, and it’s a condition that affects about one in eleven people at any given point in their life.

People with PTSD are often irritable, angry, and easily triggered. They may also feel extremely depressed and uninterested in life.

Needless to say, it’s not an easy condition to deal with, but it’s even tougher to watch a loved one struggle with it. If you find yourself in a similar place and find PTSD putting a strain on your relationship, here’s everything you can do for your partner and yourself.

Always Be Ready To Listen

People with PTSD may not always want to talk about their feelings, but they have to know that you’re there to listen without judgment.

Always let your partner know that you’ll be available to listen when they can find the strength to talk about their experiences and how they feel about them. Don’t push for more information, though; just listen to what they have to say, even if it’s only one sentence, and offer your comfort—no advice, no sympathy, just comforting words.

Identify Their Triggers And Ensure Their Symptoms Are Never Triggered

When you live with someone with PSTD, you eventually learn what triggers their dark thoughts and sad emotions. You may want to check in with them now and then to make sure they’re not triggered or identify what’s triggering them.

Once you recognize the triggers well, you can actively try and ensure that everything that triggers them is taken care of before it reaches your partner. This will help you create a safer environment for them in which they feel comfortable.

Don’t Ever Tell Them To Look On The Bright Side

Being positive and asking your partner to be positive is the worst thing you can do for them if they have PTSD.

Think of the last time you were sad about a loved one’s death. You were probably told by well-wishers to look on the bright side and given hope that everything will eventually get better. But such reassurances when you’re suffering from PTSD can be very triggering. In fact, this is toxic positivity, and it doesn’t help anyone.

Instead, you should try and acknowledge their pain and try to let them know that you know how much they’re suffering and that you’d be there for them.

Take Care Of Them When They Lose Interest In Self-Care

People suffering from PTSD usually lose interest in everything around them, even their own lives. You may find them slowly slipping away from everything they loved and enjoyed.

Moreover, even the most minor tasks like eating could take a lot of energy for them. As a partner, you can ensure that they’re able to maintain a regular routine and are sleeping and eating well. A routine also offers a sense of balance and security that can help with PTSD symptoms.

Educate Yourself About PTSD

Lastly, it’s important for you as a partner to someone with PTSD to try and educate yourself about the disorder. You can speak to their therapist or look up information online.

We also suggest reading A Notebook of Love by Luis Trivino. He’s a former war veteran with PTSD and has a partner who also suffers from PTSD. But together, they’ve managed to build a life together, with their fair share of challenges. In fact, their marriage is on the brink of its biggest challenge yet, which has given birth to this masterpiece of a book.

Download and read the book to learn more!