PTSD do you or someone you know have it? how do you cope?

I have a man in my life(proudly served in iraqi freedom) who has ptsd this is new to me (i know what it is) but i want to know the other sides to it i want to understand as much as i can tell me how you or how someone you love is.

this question is more for a personal answer i am looking for How someone deals with this from a partners perspective or how a the person who has ptsd deals with it thank you for the answers this far

Blessings on you both - he for his service, and you for reaching out to understand what he's going through with PTSD. There are two forms of PTSD: Acute (short-term) and Chronic (aka Complex, which is life-long). PTSD is a NORMAL human response to traumatically ABNORMAL human experiences such as witnessing or surviving death, near-death, natural disasters, or other traumatic experiences.

There are some excellent resources available on the Web to help you understand the clinical aspects of PTSD as well as the emotional. The VA hosts one of the best sites for partners and/or caretakers of individuals with PTSD at www.ncptsd.va.gov/ . Free counseling and assistance is available to you both through the VA as well as organizations such as www.nationalveteransfoundation.org.

I personally recommend the PTSD support group on www.dailystrength.org as a place where you ask any and every question you have as well as communicate with and share support with PTSDers and those who love them. www.sidran.org is another reliable and helpful resource.

What you won't read in most of the documentation on PTSD is the one thing you really need to know: people with PTSD (even those who can admit it and discuss it) go to extreme lengths to conceal their condition. They do this for many reasons. Though our understanding of PTSD - especially in veterans of wars - is better than ever before, there is still a "stigma" to "mental" disorders. The more we try to conceal and compensate for our PTSD so we never have to talk about it or answer well-meaning-but-nosey questions about our traumatic experiences, the more we withdraw from others. It is a self-perpetuating cycle that will debilitate if not addressed ... and of course, PTSDers will go out of their way NOT to let their symptoms or disabilities show. As a result, they can come across as "strange" or "reclusive" or "disaffected". They may appear to have no feelings - no soul. They may seem to be emotionally unreachable. This is when they most need your understanding and support.

PTSD is not a bad mood, and I personally don't think it should be referred to as a "mental" illness. PTSD is the result of a systemic shock of such magnitude, it alters the chemical balances and functioning of one's brain. Receptors fail; neurotransmitters fail; synapses "misfire", and the brain no longer utilizes it's own chemicals correctly.

When you have PTSD, you live in an almost surreal state of being. Your senses are working overtime and you are hypersensitive to your surroundings, yet numb to them. It's kind of like being on a bad drug trip that just won't wear off - ever. You feel like you are walking around in someone else's body, and it isn't a very good fit. Your mind can be so busy, you appear almost catatonic. You can lose hours of time just letting your brain chug away to no meaningful end.

There's no way I can really sum up what it is to have PTSD in a little space, but I hope this lets you know there are plenty of folks out there who understand and care, and will be there to support you both.

my dad has PTSD from a war in the early 90's..he went to a psychiatrist and he was on Zyprexa and Paxil for six months..after that he was fine but PTSD can be triggered at any time..a few months ago something triggered it and it was horrible to watch him suffer he was delusional and paranoid that someone was after him and not trusting my mom..
whatever they think at that time it is 100% real to them and you can't reason with them..don't let it suck you in..
my dad is better now he's taking Paxil and Zyprexa again..you just have to remember it is not their character it's the illness that causes all the symptoms and it can be treated.

EDIT:my psychiatrist told me to try to keep my dad busy with simple things like asking him to clean my car or get my oil changed..she basically said to try to give him something to do around the house all the time (nothing to complicated though) so he doesn't sit around and think to much..she said if he starts saying hurtful things it's better just to leave the room or ask him to stop nicely. hopefully theman you're talking about is getting proffessional help b/c medicine does work..it took my dad about 2 weeks to see any change it was horrable but he can't better right away just be there for him and he'll realise when he gets better that he has a problem and that he'll be ok.

I wish I could help you and him. I can say that I'm getting my PhD at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA regarding this issue.

I believe that I have come up with a way to eliminate PTSD development in soldiers. I am about ready to start my actual research and the data will prove or disprove my theory.

I believe I'll be correct, however.

Good Luck and God Bless your soldier!!

my hub came back from Iraq in 1991, he didn't have PTSD but he had an occurrence of "Shell Shock".

He was at work, civilian, a few years after leaving the USMC and a large palette fell to the ground and sounded, to him, like a bomb exploding. He was stressed, shaken scared for days. Just family support and attention helped him.

I just looked this up, but contact your VA, there may be support groups for you 2 and the rest of the family. Good Luck and thank him for me.