You never invited combat stress or post-traumatic stress disorder to be a part of your marriage. But there it is anyway, making everything harder.

Sometimes you want to give up. Why does everything have to be so, so hard? Other times, you wish someone would just give you a manual for dealing with the whole thing. Surely there’s a way to know how to handle this disease?

Like the rest of marriage, loving someone who suffers from PTSD or who is trying to work through the ghosts of trauma — whether combat related or not — doesn’t come with a guidebook. And although the whole thing can feel very isolating (everyone else seems fine! Is my marriage the only one in trouble?) that doesn’t mean you’re alone.

Therapists who specialize in PTSD know that while some couples may put on a good show for the outside world, dealing with trauma is hard work and, no, everything is not perfect.

If you’re dealing with PTSD at home, you are not alone.

Husband and wife team Marc and Sonja Raciti are working to help military couples work through how PTSD can impact their marriages. Marc, a veteran, has written a book on the subject, “I Just Want To See Trees: A Journey Through PTSD.” Sonja is a licensed professional counselor.

Read the full article here