General Should one educate other people on ptsd etiquette?

[Friday]

o when I mentioned my husband has health problems, people often ask what kind of problems and when I say ptsd they ask what caused it.
Do you think I should educate them that some people do not like this question?

Assuming your husband is fine with your telling people, or you wouldn’t be...

I think you should do as you feel best at the time. Meaning, sometimes? Sure. Educate away. But it’s not your responsibility to. So if you don’t want to? No worries. Don’t.

When I’m in the mood, I usually remind people that’s a very dangerous -and personal- question to ask.

A natural question to ask without thinking, but do they really want to know if my husband was raped or had a child die in their arms? Was kidnapped or tortured? Was pinned to the corpse of their best friend for hours? Listened to the screams of the dying?

When people know enough about PTSD to know it has multiple causes, they know enough to know that’s not information they rate. That doesn’t stop them asking it. Curiosity I usually blow off. Connection I sometimes indulge.

 

[Freida]

When I was a dispatcher people often asked "what was the worst call you ever took?". My response was " do you really wAnt to know? "
If they persisted I would ask... "Help me narrow it down -- do you wAnt to know about calls with kids, the elderly or pets?" Most would back down then.... If they didn't I had a couple stock stories to make them cry.

Usually what people really wanted were the funny/ stupid stories I was happy to share. If they then asked about bad calls i would tell them that was a very personal thing to ask a dispatcher and leave it at that

So yea....it really depends on who is asking and why they want to know

 

[Mee]

I’m like Dergrosse. I don’t mind. I think me being ’ok’ with it is ’educational’. I have told a few I have ptsd and when asked ’why?’ ( which I do think is invasive ) have looked t them at told them the short hand - rape - Sometimes my eyes get watery because I do that a lot, but I do not quiver over the situation. I would not do this if children were there. I think it's a fairly blunt Way to make the point. I have areal life friend with combat ptsd and she always gets kind of excited when people ask me because she wishes she could do that. But in other ways she is way tougher than me.

We compare notes sometimes.

I don’t feel ashamed and I don’t think other people's crimes to me should reflect on me; nor my reaction to them.

 

[Ahhlia]

I use to say if you open the can of worms then do be offended if they ask for more information. You started the conversation. Personally, I don't tell just anyone. My closer friends and close family member are familiar with the traumas I have gone through so they know the 'why'. Anyone else (with the exception of medical personnel) don't need to know. And not any co-workers - just would not trust who they would share that information with.