For the People Who Love Someone with PTSD
06 of 08Believe them even when you cannot see it. Someone may be speaking normally while feeling distant from everything around them. Ask what helps when they go quiet or seem absent, and ask before touching them. A calm voice and simple choices may be easier to take in than lots of questions.
Offer something specific: bring dinner, sit with them, help organise an appointment. Avoid demanding an explanation, pushing them to revisit trauma or saying they should be grateful. Support their choices and keep respectful boundaries. You are allowed support and rest too.
