Relationships: Family, partner, children and community connection

Family, partner, children and community

PTSD lives in a household. The partner learns to read a mood from the sound of keys in the door. The children learn which rooms to avoid and which questions not to ask. Parents and siblings drift away because they do not know what to say. Over time, the relationships that should be a Veteran’s strongest support become one more source of stress, for everyone.

The third path is about repairing and strengthening those connections, with help. Couples and family counseling from licensed providers gives everyone a safe place to say what has gone unsaid. Caregiver programs make sure the person holding everything together is not invisible. Programs for military children give kids words for what they have lived through and peers who understand. Peer support for spouses does the same for adults. This is the path Global Recovery Inc was built around, and our own support sessions are designed to complement what you find below.

What belongs on this path

• Family and couples counseling by licensed providers, including free, confidential non-medical counseling through Department of Defense and VA programs.
• Caregiver support programs that offer peer community, education, respite information and, in some cases, financial help.
• Programs for military and Veteran children, including youth resources and family retreats.
• Peer support for spouses and families, in person and online.

A note for the person who is holding everything together

If you are the spouse, partner or caregiver reading this, start with the caregiver resources. You are allowed to need support of your own, and the Veteran in your life is more likely to accept help when they see you accepting it too. When the household feels steadier, the Spirit path is next.