Brad Schipke says people with PTSD can absolutely love, but trauma often shows up as avoidance, anger, or abuse in relationships. Past hurt blocks honest expression, and many survivors struggle with self-love first. Healing and self-compassion make genuine love possible.
Can a person with PTSD love? The answer is yes. Sometimes if you are on the other side, so if you're in a relationship with somebody with PTSD, it can feel like that person does not love you. It can feel like that person does not care about you because, you know, they might be avoidant of you, they might be angry at you, they might even be abusive. And I'm not saying that any of those behaviors are acceptable or should be tolerated by anybody because abuse, extreme levels of anger should not be tolerated. And there's no excuse for that. PTSD, trauma, it does not matter what that person went through. That type of behavior is not tolerated. But yes, PTSD, people with PTSD Do love, a lot of times they have been hurt in the past when they have loved, and that actually prevents them from expressing their love in a true, honest way. A lot of times they don't even really love themselves, but they are capable of loving, and they are capable of healing and getting better and truly being able to express that love to other people and to themselves.
