hey op.
how long ago did this happen?

>>17105329
It happened 4 years ago

>>17105333
lol sorry kinda skimmed your post.
my bf came back from afghanistan with ptsd and it was very rough for a long time. same symptoms your describing. hes gotten better with time, but some days its like theyre not really all there. hes currently not on medication for it. sounds like he needs to work through his ptsd and acknowlege it. if he continues to surpress everything its gonna get worse. as far as what you can do just be there for him. dont press him it takes a lot of fucking patience to be there when someone is acting like that but understand that they are mentally hurting and just do your best to be there for you

No.
Medication and therapy will help him the most.

yes. cognitive behavioral therapy (self-directed or in therapy) is the only way to actually reverse ptsd. medication can only manage the symptoms. he has these distorted thoughts that cause him to feel the way he does, and to feel better he will have to be willing to see the flaws in them and challenge the thoughts. this is the way to overcome most emotional illnesses, unfortunately its not as popular as it should be.

>>17105255
>Does PTSD ever improve without people taking medications?
Yes. It can improve with therapy, self-help, or spontaneously (by itself for no reason).
It can also get worse, of course. These things are unpredictable.
Medication isn't even considered the primary treatment, therapy is.

>nightmares, night sweats, anxiety, paranoia, he doesn't trust people, he is always kind of staring at nothing, and he gets startled very easily, he is always paranoid of people acting strangely or suspiciously. Even during the day in very comfortable temperatures he is pouring sweat and on edge
Note that these symptoms can be caused by specific physiological problems as well, such as hyperthyroidism. If they don't have a specific cause (like a disease or trauma), it's referred to as GAD (generalized anxiety disorder). For example, i have all those symptoms too, but for unknown reasons (doctors are stumped, all anxiety medications make it worse).
However, in his case they're most likely due to PTSD if he didn't have them before the shooting.

>Does PTSD get better with time?
Usually, but this process may take a very long time. If you're in the US, talk to some Vietnam vets and listen to their stories, some took 10 to 20 years or more to heal. Most got no treatment at all and often self-medicated with alcohol or drugs (eg barbiturates).

>What are some things I can help him do that will ease it without him taking medications or therapy and without him knowing im trying to help his symptoms (because he doesn't think he has PTSD or doesn't think PTSD is real)
Frankly, he needs to acknowledge the problem and start working through it. Therapy usually helps a lot, medication may not be necessary since it sounds like he's functioning well. There's not much you can do other than read up on it and comfort him when appropriate, he has to do the heavy lifting himself. Best thing you can do is motivate him to get help.

When my buddies and I finally came home from multiple deployments most of us had experienced some pretty rough shit. Most deny having PTSD, but we know better. The best thing for us is having friends who have been through something similar. The reason he won't talk about it is because "you don't understand" and he needs to talk to someone that does. That's the best therapy, and it's free

>>17105255
What's his name? Did you meet him on 4chan?