General How Do You Handle The Debbie Downers?

[dulcia]

Yes, she's only looking out for me and doesn't want to see me hurt like I've been in the past. But it's irritating/exhausting having to defend my man all the time, validate our relationship to her, convince her that he's worth it etc etc. It's not that she doesn't like him, they get on really well. And he's always been very good at putting on a happy front around my family and hiding his symptoms - it's only me who bears the brunt of his anger.

Yup.

I fully own up to the fact that I had to learn not to be a doormat. My vet can be an asshole sometimes.

Double yup.

that's just me needing to rant, vent, release frustration, let rip. I'm living this. She isn't. All I need from her is that she listens and sympathises.

I've said this before elsewhere, but I think it's worth saying 100 more times. When we reach out to loved ones to vent, they hear the bad in the relationship. We don't always tend to reach out to loved ones to "rant" about the good. If all someone close to you is hearing only the bad and never (or not as often) the good, it's going to discolor their opinion of your SO and your relationship whether PTSD is involved or not. That's something I have to remind myself of.

 

[ldj]

@tiredtexan Good point!