 |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Join our family! Sign up for our e-newsletter. |
Advice for Wives |
| Need a T-Shirt? Want a BBQ Apron? Some Boxer Shorts? Something Else? Here are the latest designs in our CafePress store. Buy something great! Proceeds help us cover site costs :) |
 |
 |
PTSD.
Just the acronym makes your skin crawl.
It’s messing with your kids, your dog, you, and your sex life.
What used to be romantic is now an exercise in reviewing what color you’d like to paint the
ceiling…and that’s if you’re getting any at all.
How do you cope?
Just remember F.R.A.N.K.L.Y.
Fantasy is okay.
It’s completely okay to fantasize to get through the rough times. Whether you’re fantasizing
while in bed or fantasizing about it when you aren’t there, it’s OKAY. Consider writing down
your fantasies. At some point when PTSD is more under control it’s likely your partner is
going to want to find ways to thank you. You’ll have the perfect list ready.
Reality is better.
When you can engage in your fantasies safely, do so. If you dream about having a nice
long uninterrupted bubble bath, steal one mid-day during a lunch break if you have to.
Find ways to satisfy your need for intimacy without your partner and when it is possible,
with him. Consider implementing a take turns type approach. One week, he gets what he
needs and the other it’s your turn. Pick a night and stick to it. Whatever it takes to
preserve and potentially improve your intimacy. It’s important to turn F into R whenever
possible.
Arm yourself with knowledge.
Read up on new ideas. Read the few professional articles out there about PTSD and
intimacy. Read OUR articles. Talk with other PTSD wives about what works for them.
Knowledge is power so arm yourself with the best.
Never take PTSD’s attacks on your personally.
It’s very easy to take the opinion of PTSD attacks being personal because they feel that
way but punishing your partner is really punishing yourself in the long run. While it’s very
tempting to “withhold” what he wants, you’re also preventing yourself from using intimacy to
help heal your relationship. So go to your corner, count to 10, and realize that while PTSD
is attacking you, the man you fell in love with is in there somewhere.
Know how to walk away.
We all know that men say stupid things. PTSD men say even stupider ones. Sometimes
you just have to teach yourself to walk away from a fight to help preserve the progress you’
ve made. My grandmother said it best at her and my grandfather’s 50th wedding
anniversary, “Pick your battles. In 50 years we have never gone to bed angry with issues
still unresolved.” While I can’t say I’ve always managed to uphold her standard, I do count
my blessings each and every night and my husband, at times surprisingly, is still among
them.
Learn how to make yourself “sing” so you can help him do it better.
Alright, time for some straight talk. If you’re not “getting anywhere” anymore in bed, it might
be time to take matters into your own hands…literally. I know you don’t want to sound like
an air traffic controller but sometimes you’ve got to do something to get somewhere or you
just might burst. Get to know your own “buttons” so you can make certain they get pushed
in the right order at least once in a while so you can have your cake AND eat it too!
Yearn for the old days but make now the best it can be.
It’s easy to reminisce about how great it used to be and that’s great but you have to focus
on fixing NOW. Daydream and fantasize about the “good ol’ days” just like you remember
the ones before you had kids. Sure, it was fun not being tied down to people half your size
but you wouldn’t trade a minute of it when you hear the words, “I love you, Mommy”. Same
here. I know it can be a long and difficult road, but now when your husband reaches out to
you in love and support you value it more than you ever thought was possible. Find the
moments to cherish in this struggle and you will have found gold at the end of your rainbow.
This article was written by our own Heather Hummert, the wife of an OIF Veteran & Purple
Heart Recipient. If you would like to contact Heather directly, you can e-mail her at
Heather -at- FamilyOfAVet.com or CLICK HERE.
If you would like to help us build this site and reach out to other Veterans, their spouses,
and children, please e-mail us at Info -at- FamilyOfAVet.com or CLICK HERE.
Don't miss these other articles about PTSD & Intimacy:
Rules of Engagement
Advice for Husbands
Advice for Wives
Just the acronym makes your skin crawl.
It’s messing with your kids, your dog, you, and your sex life.
What used to be romantic is now an exercise in reviewing what color you’d like to paint the
ceiling…and that’s if you’re getting any at all.
How do you cope?
Just remember F.R.A.N.K.L.Y.
Fantasy is okay.
It’s completely okay to fantasize to get through the rough times. Whether you’re fantasizing
while in bed or fantasizing about it when you aren’t there, it’s OKAY. Consider writing down
your fantasies. At some point when PTSD is more under control it’s likely your partner is
going to want to find ways to thank you. You’ll have the perfect list ready.
Reality is better.
When you can engage in your fantasies safely, do so. If you dream about having a nice
long uninterrupted bubble bath, steal one mid-day during a lunch break if you have to.
Find ways to satisfy your need for intimacy without your partner and when it is possible,
with him. Consider implementing a take turns type approach. One week, he gets what he
needs and the other it’s your turn. Pick a night and stick to it. Whatever it takes to
preserve and potentially improve your intimacy. It’s important to turn F into R whenever
possible.
Arm yourself with knowledge.
Read up on new ideas. Read the few professional articles out there about PTSD and
intimacy. Read OUR articles. Talk with other PTSD wives about what works for them.
Knowledge is power so arm yourself with the best.
Never take PTSD’s attacks on your personally.
It’s very easy to take the opinion of PTSD attacks being personal because they feel that
way but punishing your partner is really punishing yourself in the long run. While it’s very
tempting to “withhold” what he wants, you’re also preventing yourself from using intimacy to
help heal your relationship. So go to your corner, count to 10, and realize that while PTSD
is attacking you, the man you fell in love with is in there somewhere.
Know how to walk away.
We all know that men say stupid things. PTSD men say even stupider ones. Sometimes
you just have to teach yourself to walk away from a fight to help preserve the progress you’
ve made. My grandmother said it best at her and my grandfather’s 50th wedding
anniversary, “Pick your battles. In 50 years we have never gone to bed angry with issues
still unresolved.” While I can’t say I’ve always managed to uphold her standard, I do count
my blessings each and every night and my husband, at times surprisingly, is still among
them.
Learn how to make yourself “sing” so you can help him do it better.
Alright, time for some straight talk. If you’re not “getting anywhere” anymore in bed, it might
be time to take matters into your own hands…literally. I know you don’t want to sound like
an air traffic controller but sometimes you’ve got to do something to get somewhere or you
just might burst. Get to know your own “buttons” so you can make certain they get pushed
in the right order at least once in a while so you can have your cake AND eat it too!
Yearn for the old days but make now the best it can be.
It’s easy to reminisce about how great it used to be and that’s great but you have to focus
on fixing NOW. Daydream and fantasize about the “good ol’ days” just like you remember
the ones before you had kids. Sure, it was fun not being tied down to people half your size
but you wouldn’t trade a minute of it when you hear the words, “I love you, Mommy”. Same
here. I know it can be a long and difficult road, but now when your husband reaches out to
you in love and support you value it more than you ever thought was possible. Find the
moments to cherish in this struggle and you will have found gold at the end of your rainbow.
This article was written by our own Heather Hummert, the wife of an OIF Veteran & Purple
Heart Recipient. If you would like to contact Heather directly, you can e-mail her at
Heather -at- FamilyOfAVet.com or CLICK HERE.
If you would like to help us build this site and reach out to other Veterans, their spouses,
and children, please e-mail us at Info -at- FamilyOfAVet.com or CLICK HERE.
Don't miss these other articles about PTSD & Intimacy:
Rules of Engagement
Advice for Husbands
Advice for Wives
| About This Site | Media Room | Contact Us | Site Map | Link Share If you have questions or concerns about this site, please e-mail us at Info -at- FamilyOfaVet.com. Site design & maintenance by The Delaney Co., LLC, and Come Grow With Us. This page dedicated to helping Veterans and their loved ones learn more about coping with PTSD. |
FamilyOfaVet.com is protected by a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
Some rights reserved. Additional information about what is protected and how it can be used is available HERE.
| Don't forget to take our Congressional Survey! As little as 10 minutes of your time can help us make a difference in your life!! |
