There are dozens of rumors circulating around veterans that suffer from PTSD but it is commonly known that you will never truly understand their symptoms until you’re living with a sufferer. Helping your spouse who is dealing with PTSD can be one of the most fulfilling things in both of your lives and it can help to strengthen your marital bond more than ever before. Below are some tips that you can use to your advantage to help your veteran deal with this debilitating mental condition until they are able to receive professional help.
How PTSD Affects Relationships
When your veteran comes home, you may notice that they are exhibiting telltale signs of PTSD. These symptoms can be responsible for a variety of issues in your relationship including: loss of trust, loss of closeness, inability to communicate, and issues with problem solving. They will act differently around you and patterns may develop that could harm your entire relationship.
Providing Social Support
Making sure that veterans with PTSD have the social support that they need is essential to make sure that they are able to work through their symptoms of the illness. The more meaningful relationships that they have, the higher their self-esteem will be which will make them more likely to seek professional help. You may also find that your veteran will begin helping others which can help to reduce their personal feelings of failure. Making sure that you’re there for them at the end of every day is also essential for eliminating any stress.
Seeking Professional Help
It is important that you take the necessary steps to make sure that your spouse gets the professional attention that they need. Even if you have begun to see positive signs of their behavior changing, a professional evaluation is invaluable. You should work together to find a professional therapist in your area that specializes with PTSD to help your spouse know that they are in good hands. You may also want to consider finding a therapist that works with couples and families as it is a mental disease that affects everyone around the survivor.
The therapist that you work with may suggest a variety of treatments including:
- Group Therapy
- Stress and Anger Management
- Couples Counseling
- Family Therapy
- Assertiveness Training
- Family Education Classes
Making sure that your family is prepared for the long journey ahead of you and your spouse is essential for ensuring that they can easily assimilate back into civilization.
Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir
In this dark humored War Memoir, Iraq veteran Michael Anthony discusses his return from war and how he defeated his PTSD. Civilianized is a must read for any veteran, or anyone who knows a veteran, who has returned from war and suffered through Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“An intense memoir.” -Kirkus
“I wont soon forget this book.” -Mary Roach
“A must read.” -Colby Buzzell
“[S]mart and mordantly funny.” –Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“Anthony delivers a dose of reality that can awaken the mind…” Bookreporter
Order your copy of Civilianized: A Young Veteran’s Memoir .
Picture: Flickr: Peter Murphy
