For Family and Friends
For Families and Friends
Effects of PTSD
PTSD symptoms may affect relationships. Partners and children may feel more stress and talking to one another may be hard. This section includes information about the effects of PTSD on families, including children. There are also tips to help cope with challenges.
Families
- How does PTSD affect families?
PTSD symptoms can take a toll on family members. Getting along and communicating may be harder than usual. Family members may feel hurt or helpless. At the same time, family stress can impact PTSD symptoms. Together, families can learn to support a loved one with PTSD. Learn about common ways PTSD affects families and tips to work through common issues. - Parenting with PTSD
As a parent with PTSD, you may find that common challenges to parenting feel more difficult. Children may not understand your PTSD symptoms. Your parenting goals can be a part of your PTSD treatment and recovery. Learn how PTSD may affect parenting and tips to work together as a family.
Military families
Military families often deal with unique cycles of stress related to deployments. Changes in the family can happen even if PTSD is not a concern.
- How Deployment Stress Affects Families
Learn about the challenges facing military families when a Service member is deployed to a combat zone and ways to cope.
How can I help?
You want to help someone you care about if they have PTSD. But PTSD symptoms can make people less happy or "on edge." They may have a hard time at work or at school. And they may pull away from you, even if you are family or a close friend. This section includes information to help you support a family member or friend with PTSD. There is also information about how you can help someone during PTSD treatment.
Helping a loved one
- Helping a Family Member Who Has PTSD
PTSD can be hard on families. Changes in one person often greatly impact other family members. Learn ways to help a family member who has PTSD and tips for taking care of yourself. - Cognitive Processing Therapy: Helping During Treatment
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is an evidence-based therapy for PTSD. CPT helps people recognize how trauma changed their view about themselves, others, and the world. In CPT, people learn how to change those negative thoughts and feelings. Learn what to expect and how you can support your loved one during treatment. - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Helping During Treatment
EMDR is an evidence-based therapy for PTSD. EMDR helps people process their trauma experiences using back-and-forth movements or sounds while calling to mind the memory. Learn how you can support your loved one during treatment. - Prolonged Exposure: Helping During Treatment
Prolonged Exposure (PE) is an evidence-based therapy for PTSD. PE helps people do things and go places they have avoided since the trauma. Learn what to expect and how you can support your loved one during treatment. - Written Exposure Therapy (WET): Helping a Loved One
Written Exposure Therapy (WET) is an evidence-based brief psychotherapy—or talk therapy—for PTSD. It helps people find new ways to think about a traumatic experience and what it means by writing about thoughts and feelings during the event and talking with a provider. Learn how you can support your loved one during treatment. - Grief: Helping Someone Else After a Loss
Learn strategies to support someone grieving a loss.
Helping a Veteran
- Help a Veteran Get Needed Care
If you notice a difference in a Veteran you care about, you may not know how to talk about it. Learn some tips and resources to help you talk to a Veteran about getting care.
How do I get support?
When someone you care about has PTSD, it affects you too. You are probably spending time and energy to help your loved one cope. Learning about PTSD helps you to understand what your loved one is experiencing. Taking care of yourself (or, self-care) is also very important. This section includes information and resources to help family and friends take good care of themselves as they support someone with PTSD.
Family and friends
- Help for Family and Friends
Learn about resources to help you take care of yourself while supporting someone with PTSD.
Military families
- Children Coping with Deployment
Explains how children react to a parent's going to war, with suggestions for helping children cope. - Coping When a Family Member Goes to War
Suggestions to help families cope before, during, and after a partner is deployed to a war.
You May Also Be Interested In
Understanding PTSD: A Guide for Family and Friends (PDF)
What you need to know to help yourself and your loved one with PTSD.
