Back in college, a classmate opened up about PTSD and another student told them to “just get over it.” I’ll never forget the look on their face—it was awful. Ever since, I’ve wondered what language is especially harmful in these situations. What’s the worst thing to say to someone with PTSD, so I can make sure I never cross that line?

I saw something similar happen with my uncle who’s a veteran—he finally shared about his PTSD, and someone hit him with “aren’t you over that by now?” You could see how crushing that was, like it erased all the trust he’d just built by opening up. Stuff that minimizes or suggests they should just “snap out of it” seems especially damaging. I found this breakdown really eye-opening: avoid doing this to someone with PTSD . It helped me understand what not to say, and honestly, just being willing to listen matters more than having the “perfect” words.