Coping with post-traumatic stress disorder is hard for everyone, especially with loved ones struggling with the symptoms. Treating such an illness often depends on whether your loved one wants help, but there are strategies you can take to ease the symptoms, including supporting and educating them about the disorder.
What Is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may happen if you’ve experienced shocking, frightening, or dangerous incidents. During this time, it’s not uncommon for your body to generate a natural defense mechanism called a “fight-or-flight” response to defend against real or perceived fear. Nearly everyone will have a range of responses after trauma, but most of us recover from the symptoms naturally. For those whose symptoms are intense and linger, a PTSD diagnosis may become a real possibility.
Know The Symptoms
- Your loved one may relive the event through nightmares or become upset by something that reminds them of what happened or often has flashbacks.
- Your loved one may have an urge to avoid things that remind them of the trauma.
- Your loved one has more bad thoughts and feelings than they had before, like being sad, scary, angry, or having trouble relating to others.
- Your loved one always appears to feel like they’re on edge.
Helping A Loved One With PTSD
If you have a loved one who has PTSD, there are many ways you can help that person cope. Providing a loving, compassionate support network is one way, but others are too. And remember, your loved one may not be initially receptive to accepting help, as there is still a social stigma around mental illness and PTSD.
How To Help Your Loved One
- Research different kinds of treatment (psychotherapy, self-help, or ketamine infusion), and share that information with your loved one.
- Plan fun activities with family and friends. Encourage your loved one to step outside their comfort zone, to get out of the house and try different activities – but at their own pace. For example, if they’re not enthused about getting out of their house, toss out the option of a small get-together at a mutual friend’s house rather than a crowded restaurant. This can limit stress levels.
- People with post-traumatic stress disorder are often hesitant to make that first step and see a doctor. They could have trouble focusing and remembering details. Step in and offer to go with them to an appointment. This can be especially helpful. If your friend and the doctor agree that you can be present, offer to take notes on what’s said and keep a list of recommended medicines and therapies.
- Work with your loved one and develop a crisis plan. You can’t always avoid a crisis, but you can learn to identify triggers and take measures to assist your loved one in coping.
- Have a friendly chat with your loved ones in advance about what they can do when experiencing a bad dream, flashback, or panic attack. They may remember something that helped them before.
- Be a presence in their lives with check-ins as needed. This may help both of you consider which support tactics are working and focus on what’s most useful to them.
- Be willing to listen, but pressuring your loved one to talk is unproductive and may push them away. Some people with PTSD can speak freely about their experience soon after it happens, while others need months or years. Be ready.
- If your loved one becomes angry or aggressive, there are many steps you can take to help them. An essential first step is both of you should agree that either can call a time out whenever needed.
- Be aware of warning signs of suicide and act as needed.
Diagnosis & Treatment
If you have post-traumatic stress disorder and have decided to seek medical attention, your doctor will probably:
- Do a physical examination to look for medical problems that could be triggering your symptoms.
- Do a psychiatric assessment that includes talking about warning signs and symptoms and your thoughts, behavior, and feelings as potential triggers.
- Compare your symptoms to criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as developed by the American Psychiatric Association.
After diagnosis, recommended treatment may include psychotherapy, self-help, antidepressants, ketamine therapy, or even alternative strategies.
Final Thoughts
If you have a loved one who has post-traumatic stress disorder, being supportive of what they’re going through is a good first step to take. Besides listening when they’re ready to talk, it’s important to educate yourself on different treatment options which might be available, like ketamine infusion therapy.