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A Soldier and His Civilian: Being Married to a Combat Veteran with PTSD
It’s the Fourth of July, and the whole city sounds like war. In my husband’s head, it is war all over again, battles he thought he left behind in the Iraqi desert years before I met him.
Inside, our home is no retreat. Nothing drowns out the thunder of gunfire and imminent death. Chances are, my husband and best friend isn’t coming back from this tonight.
But this isn’t a story about my husband and his tour of duty in 2005. This is my story about being married to a combat veteran with PTSD.
I want to tell you about the challenges I’ve faced and how I’ve learned to handle them. I want to show you the strength and lessons I’ve discovered along the way.
You may also ask: Can military wives get PTSD? How can I help my spouse with PTSD? Hopefully, I can give you some insight into those questions, as well.
Being the spouse of a PTSD sufferer isn’t easy. Veterans with PTSD get divorced twice as much as vets with no PTSD symptoms and are three times more likely to get a divorce multiple times.
I want to assure you, though, a loving relationship with a combat veteran is possible. And it’s worth it.
Most importantly, if you’re someone like me who loves a person damaged by war, I…
