Hi all, I have been in a relationship with a man with PTSD for about 10 months. What I can say is that they hate themselves A LOT. They would find all sorts of artifices not to commit to you, some of which WILL break your heart. They appear to have no roots, no moral compass but the truth is they feel unworthy of being loved and are petrified at the thought that one day you will tell them just that. And leave them. They are some of the most fragile souls I have ever met. Yet so beautiful...
The only way to be in a relationship with them is to be selfless. If you start thinking about yourself and what you aren't getting, you are just going to get hurt. And worse, they react very badly to being made to feel guilty. It is a self defense mechanism, and they would rather walk away than say sorry. Because their burden is already heavier than they can take.
So if you have self confidence and can love unconditionally for 2, go for it. Seeing the true person inside past all that pain, even for a few minutes, brings a lot more satisfaction than all the roses and chocolates and serenades in the world. Because it means you made them feel loved. You made the pain go away and they took a breath of life.
Don't think they don't know. They are hyper aware, as pain makes them hypersensitives. They will see your pain, but will deny it because it would be like the drop that makes the glass of water overflow... I don't know if I will win this battle, but I have faith. The same faith he had when bullets were flying past him.
It only takes a small candle to light up a dark room.