PTSD Love Stories

Every day, millions of Australians provide unpaid care to loved ones living with disability, chronic illness or mental health conditions – often at the cost of their own wellbeing, finances and social connection. According to the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, 2022, by the Australian Bureau of Statistics:
– 3 million Australians (11.9%) are carers;
– 1.2 million were primary carers;
– 43.8% of primary carers live with disability;
– Two-thirds of primary carers are women; and
– 1 in 10 carers is under the age of 25 – a 60% increase since 2018.

Despite their essential role, many carers remain unseen and unsupported.

PTSD Love Stories puts faces to these statistics – revealing the ripple effects of trauma and the invisible cost of care. It’s time we see carers, hear their stories, and stand beside them. We imagine a future where no caregiver feels alone, where stigma is replaced by support, and where first-responder families are met with the care and understanding they deserve. #CareForTheCarers

The Impact Campaign launches with the PTSD Love Stories community Premiere on Thank a First Responder Day (11 June, 2025). This event marks the official opening of the five-month campaign which culminates in October during National Carers Week.

We will work with our impact partners to disseminate the “PTSD Love Stories” documentary. We will call on members of the general public to get involved through social media and start a conversation about self-care – using the theme #CaresForTheCarers. People will encourage friends, neighbours and family members who may need to focus on self-care to take time out for respite.

In 2021, the half-hour version was screened on ABC Compass. It gained over 456,000 viewers and an additional 9000 viewers on iView. Feedback from carers and PTSD sufferers about a screening of this version in Carers Week was highly positive and allowed people to start a conversation about their own experiences. We have over 3,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram combined. The 8 Episodes on Facebook of our first ‘Live Broadcast’ have been viewed over 6,500 times and the ‘Our Journey’ video has been viewed 2,400 times.

Now that the feature version of the film is completed, we aim to:
– Start conversations and create a buzz on social media #CaresForTheCarers;
– Premiere screening in Brisbane in June 11, 2025.
– Organise community screenings nationally leading up to Carers Week in October
– Create resources available on the film website to help direct the audience to the right mental health support services
– Create a Study Guide that is available to high school students.

Producer and Writer Dr Kym Melzer has spent over six years immersed in the PTSD, veteran, first responder, and carer communities through a combination of academic research and fieldwork. Her access stems from long-term engagement, including interviews, national field visits, and a series of documentary projects that explored the impact of trauma. While the participants in PTSD Love Stories are new to her film work, they were accessed through professional networks, mental health organisations, and lived experience communities she has built relationships with over time. Kym’s doctoral research, which examined caregiving and PTSD through an ethical documentary lens, created a strong foundation of trust and credibility that informed the recruitment and respectful portrayal of these new participants.

The impact campaign is supported by Arafmi, Fortem Australia, and a growing list of national partners committed to raising visibility, fostering community, and supporting better mental health outcomes for carers, first responders and veterans alike. This work builds on the foundational support of Carers Queensland, Carers NSW, Carers NT, and Carers Tasmania, who backed the project during its original crowdfunding campaign to complete the film.

Join the movement by offering your time, skills, platforms, or networks. We seek to collaborate with organisations, businesses, and community groups committed to supporting carers, first responders, veterans and mental health.

We hope those who are suffering, those who care for loved ones and the wider community will recognise the benefits of caregivers taking time out. We want carers to join creative arts community programs and socialise or at the very least to consider the benefits of self-care. Listen to music, paint, read a book, get a massage, go surfing, go for a walk, ride a bike, try a new craft, go see a band, get a facial or buy some new clothes…. just take time out from being a caregiver and do something that brings joy!