I have never had really severe PTSD, but it did take some time to get over what I experienced.(An ex-boyfriend with a gun, on a dark night out on a lonely river, followed by a narrow escape through heavily wooded country.)

Eventually, it faded for me, but it took five or six years for the flashbacks and fear to stop.

I had a dear friend who experienced very severe flashbacks from his time in Vietnam. We were walking together through a farmers market one day and a particular type of airplane flew over. My friend, dove under one of the produce tables. This was more than twenty years after the war.

I lost touch with him. I wonder how he's doing. I'm also curious about the condition in general. My friend was a very loving person. He tried to get over the war. He tried everything he knew. Has anyone else had, or is close to someone who has PTSD? What did you or the person you're close to, do as a coping mechanism? Did it help?

I'd also like to know how it changed your relationships with the people you care about.

Katty