PTSD
My boyfriend of 3 years is pushing me away because of his PTSD. He feels guilty that he can’t be there for me mentally. I love him more than anything and want to be there to support him but he won’t let me be his support. I no longer know what to do besides just wait until things get better with his therapist.
@pluckyPenny923 I admire you for wanting to be there for him. I hope you understand that his pushing you away isn't personal. It can be incredibly hard for someone with PTSD to talk about their experiences. With being a guy, there comes a stigma with it because guys are supposed to be tough and strong. To show a weaker side it's hard. He may worry about burdening you with what he's gone through. If it's something recent it may just take time for him to be comfortable coming to you. But please believe me when I say it isn't you. Trauma changes people. It makes you fearful and you sometimes can't explain your thoughts and emotions. It's something that is so hard to heal from.
Be patient. There may come a time when he does want to talk to you but it isn't something you can force. Just let him know that you're there for him.
Do little things for you and your stress. It helps having a calm safe place, especially for him but also for you too. So self care for yourself is also incredibly important. Try to just be yourself. Which is hard I'm sure because you might feel like you're walking on eggshells all the time.
Try to educate yourself. There are many wonderful websites with information that can help you help him.
I hope that things get better for you both.
You really don't know how much this message means to me. The past month has just been so much for me. I appreciate you taking the time to write this message for me. It means a lot it's hard to speak to other people about this whole situation.
@pluckyPenny923 You're very welcome. I hope it helped you. There are many resources here that may be of help to you too. You might want to check out the Trauma community too. Of course there's the listeners, but try to find one that is at least verified as you can find some who aren't very helpful otherwise. And of course you're always welcome to tag me if you need someone to talk to. 🙂
