Are You Living with a Partner Suffering with PTSD after Sexual Abuse?

Brooke Terrell, M.A., LCMHCA, NCC, BCC, TITC-CT

Are you living with a partner suffering with PTSD after sexual abuse? You need support too!

Living with a person who has been sexually abused is hard! The abuse survivor often struggles with triggers he or she doesn't understand, making him or her overly reactive and difficult to live with. While your partner needs help from a professional, the truth is both partners need support.

As the partner, your symptoms might include:

-Resentment:  Everything always seems to center around the abused partner and his or her emotions.

-Confusion: There is uncertainty as to how you should respond or help your partner

-Hopelessness:  Will things ever get better?  Will my partner ever heal?

-Isolation:  There seems to be no one to talk to about your feelings of living with an abused person.

-Anger:  You feel anger that you weren't there to protect your loved one or stop the abuse.

The good news is, there's hope!  A trauma professional can help both partners find the support they need to overcome the symptoms and create the safe and supportive relationship they both desire.

Don't give up!  Abused people with supportive spouses often heal faster than those without.  Reach out to one of our trained trauma professionals today, including Brooke Terrell, MA, LCMHC.