Mental
Health Association in New York State, Inc. |
Community Connections, Fall 2003PTSD
and the Family Symptoms of PTSD and other trauma reactions change how survivors feel and act. Traumatic experiences that happen to one member of a family can affect everyone in the family. When trauma reactions are severe and last some time without treatment, they can cause major problems in the family. Sympathy - One of the first reactions many family members have is sympathy for their loved one. People feel very sorry that someone they care about has had to suffer through a terrifying experience. It can be helpful for the person who has experienced the trauma to know that his or her family members sympathize, especially just after the traumatic event occurs. Sympathy from family members can have a negative effect, though. When family members' sympathy leads them to "baby" a trauma survivor and have low expectations for him or her, it may send a message that the family doesn't believe the survivor is strong enough to overcome the ordeal. Depression - One source of depression for family members can be the trauma-tic event itself. Knowing that the event happened could cause a person to lose faith in the safety and predictability of life. Depression is also common among family members when the traumatized person acts in a way that causes feelings of pain or loss. The traumatized person may feel too anxious to go on family outings as he/she did in the past. Family income may decrease as a result of the traumatized person's inability to work. A traumatized spouse may withdraw emotionally or avoid intimate or sexual relations that may cause his/her partner to feel rejected or unloved. Family members can begin to lose hope that their loved one or their family will ever get "back to normal." Fear and worry - Knowing that some thing terrible can happen "out of the blue" can make people fearful. This is especially true when a family member feels unsafe and often reminds others about possible dangers. Family members can experience fear when the trauma survivor is angry or aggressive. No matter what the reason for the anger and aggression, it naturally makes the family fearful. Survivors and their families may also have problems with drug and alcohol abuse, sleep problems and health problems. What can families do? Continue to learn more about trauma and its effects. The National Center for PTSD at: www.ncptsd.org is a good starting point. Veterans, can look for classes at a local VA Medical Center or VA Readjustment Counseling Service. Family members should get help for themselves, even if their loved one doesn't seek treatment. Local yellow pages will have resources under "Mental Health Services" or “Counseling". See the complete version of this fact sheet at: http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/specific/fs_family.html
posted 9/18/03 |