Are you a caregiver?

You might already be one. Here’s what that can look like.

A caregiver is anyone who helps another person manage their health, daily needs, or overall well-being—often without pay. You might be a caregiver if you:

  • Help a family member, partner, friend, or neighbor with everyday tasks

  • Coordinate or attend medical appointments

  • Manage medications or health-related needs

  • Provide emotional support, check-ins, or advocacy

  • Assist with household responsibilities or transportation

  • Step in regularly because someone relies on you

If you see yourself in any of these roles, you can identify as a family caregiver—even if you’ve never used that term before. Caregiving looks different for everyone, but every caregiver plays a vital role and deserves recognition and support.

The Caregiver’s Role

Creating Safety and Supporting Recovery

Caring for a loved one with PTSD often means providing stability while understanding that symptoms and recovery can change over time. Caregivers may help identify triggers, support healthy routines, encourage treatment, assist with medications or appointments, and respect boundaries when their loved one needs space.

Caregivers can also watch for worsening symptoms such as increased isolation, anxiety, nightmares, mood changes, substance use, or hopelessness and seek professional or emergency support when needed. Maintaining healthy boundaries and caring for your own well-being are also essential parts of providing sustainable support.

Top 3 Things Caregivers Should Know

PTSD is a medical condition, not a choice

PTSD changes how the brain responds to stress and perceived danger. Reactions such as irritability, hypervigilance, emotional numbness, or avoidance are symptoms of the condition, not character flaws or a lack of effort.

Recovery takes time, and progress isn’t always linear

Good days and difficult days are both part of the healing process. Treatment, including therapy and sometimes medication, can significantly improve symptoms, but recovery often involves setbacks along the way.

You matter, too

Supporting someone with PTSD can affect your own mental and physical health. Maintaining your own support system, practicing self-care, and knowing when to ask for help are essential, not selfish. A healthy caregiver is better able to support a loved one over the long term.

Caregiver Resources from Our Partners

Online Article

Understanding PTSD, Treatment & Support

Provides information about post-traumatic stress disorder, including symptoms, causes, treatment options, and ways to find professional help and support.

Online Tool

PTSD Treatment Decision Aid

Helps people with PTSD compare evidence-based treatment options, understand what each treatment involves, and prepare for conversations with a healthcare provider about care preferences.

Online Article

PTSD and Aging Veterans

Explains how PTSD symptoms and experiences may change as veterans age, including how retirement, health changes, loss, and memories of military service can affect symptoms later in life.

Caregiver Action Network Resources

Explore Your Community Support Options

Personalized Guidance from Caregiving Experts

Personalized Guidance from Caregiving Experts

Available Monday-Friday from 8am – 7pm ET, our experts are ready with the personalized support, guidance, and assistance you need and deserve–for as long as you need it.

(855) 227-3640

24/7 Access to Hundreds of Helpful Resources

24/7 Access to Hundreds of Helpful Resources

The National Caregiver Help Desk App, powered by Carallel, is full of bite-sized resources crafted to help you build skills, validate what you’re feeling, and help you get stuff done.

Use Access Code: CAN

Connection & Community with Other Caregivers

Expert-Led Virtual Fireside Chats

These 30-minute virtual fireside chats address the complex and often difficult topics encountered by caregivers. Sessions are led by Matt Perrin, Carallel’s Director of Caregiver Engagement, and Sheila Schultz, a Carallel Care Advocate.

Community with Other Caregivers

Community With Other Caregivers

Through CAN, Carallel Support Groups give you a place to ask questions, feel understood, and build confidence in your caregiving journey. Access is simple and available when you need it.

Certified Listeners

Connect with Certified Listeners

Looking for someone who really gets it? Get matched with trained listeners who share your lived experience—whether that’s caring for someone with Alzheimer’s, cancer, or another chronic condition.

Facebook Support Group for Caregivers

Online Support Group on Facebook

Join our caregiver community on Facebook to connect with thousands of peers in a welcoming, supportive space.
Ask questions, share experiences, and receive advice any time of day.

We’re meeting caregivers where they are—giving you choices for how you want to connect, whether through expert advice, peer-to-peer empathy, or live support groups.