Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition that can be triggered by experiencing or witnessing something traumatic. Many people think of PTSD as a disorder that only military veterans deal with , but it can also occur in reaction to other distressing events like sexual violence, a physical assault, childhood or domestic abuse, a robbery, the sudden death of a loved one, a terrorist attack or a natural disaster.

According to the National Center for PTSD , its estimated that 7% to 8% of the U.S. population will have PTSD in their lifetime. Women are more likely to develop it than men.

Symptoms of PTSD may include vivid flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance of anything or anyone that reminds them of the trauma, difficulty sleeping, irritability, being easily startled and feelings of numbness. The symptoms must last more than a month and be severe enough that they disrupt the persons ability to function at work, in their relationships and in their daily life.

Having a strong support system can help carry a person through some of the more difficult periods of PTSD, but only if those with the disorder are able to communicate what they need from their loved ones.

Like any illness, PTSD doesnt just affect me, it has impacted the people in my life who love and care about me, blogger Alexis Rose told HuffPost. My familys dynamic has definitely changed. Keeping the conversation open, getting support, and having accessible information about PTSD can help with the challenges that families and friends face when caring for a loved one with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Below, people with the disorder share what they wish more of their well-meaning friends and family understood about loving someone with PTSD.

1. Instead of always trying to fix us, we just want you to listen.

Sometimes we do not want to hear any advice. We do not need you to fix us and tell us what to do, or compare us with others. We just need the people we love to stay, to sit with us through the storm, to listen and to embrace us. Nicole Figueroa

2. Please dont tell us to just get over it.

I think its great if loved ones can to do their best to find that balance between allowing someone with PTSD to move through their symptoms, while also holding their hand to help them pick themselves back up. I can appreciate that its difficult to see someone you love suffer, but telling that person to get over it or shaming them for what theyre experiencing only makes the process harder for the person experiencing symptoms. Meeting them where they are, and saying things like, Ive got you, Let me help you breathe, or whatever resonates best for your loved one helps make those most challenging moments easier. Susannah Pitman

3. Be patient with us and yourself when were experiencing it.

Dont take it personally. If youre reading this, you probably have a big heart, and you might feel frustrated when your love isnt enough to cure someones PTSD. So here are two things to remember: First, while many people can recover from PTSD, there is no cure, as theres no way to know what might trigger an episode of PTSD in the future. Second, this isnt about you. So be patient with your loved one, and with your own heart. Rita Zoey Chin , author of Let The Tornado Come

4. Consider attending a therapy session with us to better understand what were going through.

I think its extremely important to go with your loved one to a therapy session so the mental health professional can walk you through your loved ones PTSD. My now-husband was with me during one of my worst flashbacks. Despite me having explained thoroughly my PTSD symptoms to him, along with what tends to trigger me, he argued with me rather than recognizing I was having a flashback. His resistance made the flashback and the anxiety that followed significantly worse and my symptoms lasted more than a week afterward.

Thankfully, he listened to me when my therapist suggested he come with me to my next session. The therapist was able to articulate what I couldnt in a way my husband could understand. It was really helpful for both of us and since then my husband has been supportive, loving and understanding whenever Ive felt symptoms. Pitman

5. When were having a bad day, know that its not your fault.

I wish they understood that when Im struggling it has nothing to do with them. Like, if Im going through something because of my PTSD, its because of my PTSD, not them. I never want friends or family to feel like its their fault when Im struggling with anxiety or from other symptoms of my PTSD. Kayla Stevenson