Your unit
Nobody does this alone. The people around you, and the systems you have to work through.
★ PTSDIY · Field Manual ★ Part VI ★
Chapter 27
Peer support
Nobody gets through alone
FM 27-PER-301Weekly
27-1.Mission brief
Some things only land when they come from someone who's been there. Peer support doesn't replace treatment; it gets people to treatment and keeps them going.
27-2.Intel
Peer support improves engagement in treatment and reduces isolation in studies. The VA employs peer specialists for this reason. Evidence that peer support alone reduces PTSD symptoms is more limited.
27-3.Where to find your people
| Option | Who it serves |
|---|---|
| Vet Centers | Combat veterans, service members and families; free and confidential, separate from VA medical centers |
| VA peer specialists | Veterans in VA care |
| Veteran service organizations | Social connection, volunteering, advocacy |
| First responder peer teams | Fire, EMS and police; many departments now have them |
| PTSDIY peer circles | Anyone; monthly |
27-4.Field procedures
| 01 | Try one meetingCommit to one, not a lifetime. Sit in the back if you want. |
| 02 | Give it threeFirst meetings are awkward. Judge after three. |
| 03 | Find one personYou don't need the whole group. One person you can text is enough. |
| 04 | Give back laterWhen you're steady, helping someone newer reinforces your own recovery. |
27-5.Rules of engagement
A good group listens without competing and points people toward help. Leave any group that pressures you to drink, rejects treatment, or turns into a contest of who had it worst.
27-6.Common faults & corrections
| ✕ | Fault: "My story isn't bad enough"Correction: There's no minimum. If it affects you, you belong. |
PTSDIY · FM 27-PER-301 · Part VI27