PTSD in Relationships
Couples therapy is an essential part of the treatment for PTSD. Research indicates that PTSD impacts the functioning of family and couple relationships. Couples where one or both partners suffer from the symptoms of PTSD, there is unmanaged conflict, intense anger, and fights that escalate so fast neither partner remembers the cause. Fights can lead to violence, verbal abuse, and suicide. Let’s talk about the symptoms of PTSD and how couples therapy can help save your marriage.
PTSD Symptoms
Someone suffering from PTSD experienced or witnessed a life-threatening event, death, serious injury or sexual violence or heard detailed stories from a family member or friend who experienced it. These symptoms persist longer than a month and include intrusive thoughts and memories of the event, distressing dreams, flashbacks, and triggers. Triggers include places, people or things that remind the person of the event and cause severe emotional and physiological distress. The PTSD sufferer avoids things they once enjoyed, especially if they remind them of the event. If you are living with someone who has PTSD, you may notice changes in thoughts and mood, including depression and self-blame, anger, guilt, and shame. You might notice increased hostility, irritability, angry outbursts, hypervigilance, sleep disturbances, and problems with concentration.
PTSD Treatments
You are tired of fighting, and worry that if nothing changes your relationship will end in divorce. Couples therapy helps partners address past trauma, identify and manage symptoms of PTSD, help couples build empathy for each other, and gain a better understanding of how the past plays a role in their relationship today. The couple learns to identify feelings, emotions, triggers, and memories that lead to conflict and emotional and physiological distress. Your therapist will slow down interactions in session and help you surface any underlying trauma in a gentle way that allows you to safely share it with your partner. If you are ready to change your relationship, improve how you feel, and live life with more joy and passion…
Schedule a free 20-minute phone consultation to find your way back to yourself, with less anxiety and more ease in San Marcos and Cypress, Texas.