PTSD Awareness Day - June 27th, 2026
How PTSD Can Affect Relationships
When people think about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), they often imagine dramatic events such as combat, natural disasters, or serious accidents. While these experiences can be very traumatic, trauma can result from situations regardless of age or background; what matters is not whether an event seems traumatic to others, but how it is experienced by the individual. At the same time, it is important to recognize that not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD. While many people experience pain following a traumatic event, only some individuals go on to develop persistent symptoms that meet the criteria for PTSD (American Psychiatric Association, 2022).
● One way to explain this is that Object Relations Theory provides a framework for understanding how PTSD can affect relationships. The theory states that our early relationships help shape our internal expectations about ourselves and others. Through interactions with parents, caregivers, and other significant figures, children develop beliefs about trust, safety, and their worthiness of care and support (Kernberg, 1976).
● When a traumatic event involves betrayal, abuse, abandonment, or harm caused by another person, these expectations can be disrupted. Someone who previously trusted others may begin to anticipate rejection, disappointment, or danger. Even when new relationships are healthy and supportive, these altered expectations can make it difficult to feel safe, vulnerable, or connected (Bowlby, 1988). This helps explain why PTSD can continue to affect relationships long after the traumatic event has ended. Hypervigilance may lead individuals to constantly monitor others for signs of anger, criticism, rejection, or abandonment.
Although these responses can be challenging, they are often understandable adaptations to experiences that have disrupted a person's sense of safety and trust.
Healing and Recovery
Although PTSD can have a significant impact on daily life and relationships, recovery is possible.
● Professional support can help individuals understand how PTSD symptoms influence their thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and relationships. Through therapy and supportive relationships, many people begin to develop a greater sense of safety, improve emotional regulation, and challenge assumptions that may have formed in response to traumatic experiences (Bowlby, 1988; Kernberg, 1976).
Healing from PTSD often involves more than reducing symptoms. It can also involve rebuilding trust, strengthening relationships, and developing a more compassionate understanding of oneself. At the same time, it is important to recognize that having PTSD does not make someone "broken."
People living with PTSD sometimes come to define themselves by their diagnosis. They may feel damaged, weak, or fundamentally “Broken” because they continue to struggle long after the traumatic event has ended; however, this is okay and a natural reaction to trauma and does not diminish your worth.
● A person can be living with PTSD and still be whole.
● A person can be struggling to recover and still be whole.
● A person can need support and still be whole.
● A person can be in the process of healing and still be whole.
If you are experiencing symptoms of PTSD, know that you are not alone. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness; it is one way people care for themselves as they work toward healing and recovery.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed., text rev.; DSM-5-TR). American Psychiatric Publishing.
Bowlby, J. (1988). A Secure Base: Parent-Child Attachment and Healthy Human Development. Basic Books.
Kernberg, O. F. (1976). Object Relations Theory and Clinical Psychoanalysis. Jason Aronson.