Have someone in your life with a new PTSD diagnosis? Discover what proper PTSD family support looks like and the effects of PTSD on family members.
Some people develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a shocking, frightening or traumatic event. The condition can cause distressing symptoms, such as flashbacks, nightmares and intrusive thoughts. Approximately 6% of the U.S. population will have PTSD at some point in their lives.
Helping someone with PTSD and navigating the effects of PTSD on family members can be challenging, but it’s possible with the right knowledge and support. Below, we’ll explore the family’s role in supporting a loved one with PTSD.
Here are some suggestions for how family members can better uplift and support individuals who are struggling with PTSD.
1. Educate Yourself
Understanding the causes of PTSD and how it manifests can help you offer the right support to your loved one. Unfortunately, several common myths about PTSD can make it harder for people to ask for help or recognize symptoms in themselves or someone else. For instance, some people believe the condition only affects people who’ve experienced combat during a war, but it can actually occur after any traumatic event. Sorting fact from fiction by educating yourself using reputable sources can make it easier to understand your loved one’s experiences and access appropriate PTSD family support.
2. Create a Safe Environment
Creating a safe, nonjudgmental home environment can help your loved one feel understood. The symptoms of PTSD can make a person feel profoundly unsafe, even when there isn’t an external threat present. Addressing the factors that make the person feel threatened gives them a secure base to begin recovery.
Understanding what triggers your loved one’s flashbacks or other symptoms can help make your home a safer space. For example, your loved one may find sudden loud noises unbearable. Taking steps to avoid the person’s triggers can help reduce their symptoms. You may need to enlist support from the whole family to prevent triggering events and conversations from occurring.
Having a plan for what to do during a PTSD crisis can also help you and your loved one feel more prepared for challenging times, potentially reducing anxiety. What helps during a flashback depends on the individual, and you can ask them what support they prefer. Many people find the following measures reassuring:
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- Remaining calm
- Explaining to the person that they’re having a flashback
- Avoiding sudden noises or movements
- Encouraging slow, deep breathing
- Asking the person to talk about their surroundings
3. Promote Effective Communication
Effective communication can help the whole family navigate supporting someone with PTSD. However, communication can often be more challenging between someone with PTSD and their family because they may have trouble expressing their feelings or feel reluctant to share distressing thoughts with their loved ones. Furthermore, family members often feel anxious about saying or doing something that could upset the affected person.
Good communication requires active listening without interrupting. Consider what the person says and validate their feelings instead of arguing or attempting to counteract their points. Asking follow-up questions can help you understand their perspective more clearly. If the person struggles to express their feelings, asking them whether they feel angry or upset can help them find the words they need to articulate their emotions.
Positivity can also improve relationships and prevent conversations from becoming blame-focused. While PTSD can cause significant distress to the person and their support network, approaching conversations positively can make reaching a mutual understanding easier and generate effective solutions.
It can be hard to know how to help someone with PTSD, and you may feel tempted to offer unsolicited advice on how the person should manage their condition. However, this type of conversation can be overwhelming for your family member and may lead to conflict. Instead, consider asking the person what support or help they need. If your family member doesn’t want to talk right now, give them space and let them know you’re there when they feel ready.
The advice above applies to the family members of a person with PTSD, too. Ensuring everyone feels comfortable discussing their feelings and concerns can prevent minor issues from escalating into more significant problems and reduce feelings of isolation. If you struggle to communicate, consider engaging in family therapy to facilitate healthy conversations. You can ask your family doctor or a specialized addiction clinic to help you find a family therapist with experience providing PTSD family support.
4. Provide Nonjudgmental Emotional Support
Emotionally supporting your loved one can help reduce the severity of their PTSD symptoms in many cases. Specifically, positive support from family members can improve the prognosis of someone with PTSD. Furthermore, it’s known that a strong social support system can reduce the likelihood of someone developing PTSD following a traumatic event.
Allowing the person to talk about their feelings and experiences at their own pace can help alleviate pressure during a difficult time. Seeing your loved one distressed can be upsetting, but letting them express their emotions is essential. Avoid assuming you know how they feel or attempting to minimize the impact of their trauma.
It’s natural to want your loved one to recover quickly because you care for their well-being. However, PTSD recovery takes time, and the symptoms can be hard to understand unless you’ve experienced the condition firsthand. Avoid judging the person for the time it takes to heal or suggesting they could have done something differently to prevent their condition.
5. Assist in Seeking Professional Help
Professional mental health specialists can help your loved one access the treatment they need to recover. Generally, seeking professional help with the person’s permission is best. However, you should always get urgent help if you think your loved one is at risk of suicide.
Your family doctor can refer your loved one to a specialist. Alternatively, you could consider seeking support from a mental health clinic with experience treating PTSD.
6. Get Expert Help Today
The right PTSD family support can help your loved one toward recovery. The experts at Restore Mental Health have extensive knowledge of the effects of PTSD on families and can provide the expert treatment your family member needs. Contact us today to discuss options with a member of our team.
The Effects of PTSD on Family: What to Expect as a Family Member
PTSD symptoms can often hurt and strain family relationships. The individual with PTSD is likely to be moody and irritable, may have violent reactions and may be withdrawn. It can feel challenging to connect with them and find sympathy and understanding when they treat you poorly.
Overall, some of the expected impacts on family members are:
- Strained relationships. Interacting with someone who has PTSD can strain familial relationships. Family members can be left feeling angry, confused, burdened, sad or rejected by the individual’s new behaviors.
- Emotional burden. It can feel like a huge emotional toll to experience — and appropriately respond to — PTSD symptoms.
- Changed family dynamics. PTSD can cause a person to act differently than they did before, which can significantly change the preexisting family dynamics.
- Increased mental health awareness. As family members become committed to understanding and helping their loved one through PTSD, they might become more aware of mental health challenges overall. This might make them more open to exploring therapy for themselves or recognizing when they themselves experience mental health symptoms.
Self-Care for Family Members
The effects of PTSD on family members can be extensive, and it’s essential to care for your own mental health. Your needs also matter, and you can support your loved one more effectively when you’re physically and mentally well. Acknowledging the impact of the person’s condition and practicing self-care can help you stay well during challenging times.
Here are some ways to balance your needs while supporting your family member:
- Recognize that your support can feel like work or a challenge, and give yourself credit for putting in the effort.
- Set firm boundaries with yourself and family members so you don’t become overburdened in your attempt to support them.
- Share the support responsibilities with other family members if possible.
- Join support groups.
- If you’re struggling, consider reaching out to a therapist or another trusted individual for support.
Get Support at Restore Mental Health
Your mental health is just as much of a priority as that of any other family member. Getting professional treatment for yourself can help keep you healthy and grounded as you support your loved one.
Let Restore Mental Health help you prioritize yourself again. Contact us today to learn more about our programs.
