Bristol Palin's ex — and 'Teen Mom' viewers — slam her 'selfish' reaction to his PTSD

Kristine Solomon

Bristol Palin made her Teen Mom OG debut on Monday, and things got off to an explosive start. Palin and then-husband Dakota Meyer — she confirmed the pair’s divorce in August — got into a heated argument about his anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Meyer, a U.S. Marine, has struggled ever since watching members of his platoon die during a savage ambush in Afghanistan in 2009.

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On tonight’s #TeenMomOG, Bristol is put in a tough spot when @dakotameyer0317 reveals to her that his anxiety is flaring up again. The 90-minute premiere begins at 9/8c on @MTV.

A post shared by Teen Mom (@teenmom) on Oct 1, 2018 at 7:00am PDT

While riding in the car with the couple’s two children, Sailor Grace and Atlee Bee, in the back seat, Palin asks Meyer what is wrong. Meyer responds, “I’ve been trying to tell you for a week, my anxiety’s been going nuts … I’ve been having nightmares.”

Palin asks how she can help, but the two quickly start bickering, with Meyer accusing Palin of criticizing him and being unsupportive.

“I’ve asked you for help a thousand times,” he says. He questions why she can’t understand that his PTSD isn’t a choice.

Palin argues back, “It’s hard for me to have compassion in these situations, because you keep pulling the rug from underneath me.” With a look of concern, she reaches out and rests a comforting hand on her husband’s shoulder while he continues to vent his frustration.

Viewers quickly took to social media to weigh in, but their reactions were divided. Some felt the 27-year-old mom of three — eldest child Tripp, from her relationship with Levi Johnston, is 9 — was being “selfish” and “inconsiderate.” They sympathized with Meyer’s battle and thought he deserved his wife’s understanding. One Twitter user was moved to tears by the disagreement.

Another claimed Palin is misinformed about her husband’s condition and referenced something Palin allegedly expressed to the couple’s therapist: her fear that Meyer might one day kill himself.

Even Meyer himself is getting in on the Twitter debate. The 30-year-old Medal of Honor recipient thanked viewers for their support — he even expressed appreciation for “the negative stuff” — and retweeted a user who had a particularly biting thing to say about Palin’s judgment as a parent.

Instagram users piped up too, calling Palin “phony” and saying she couldn’t care less about what Meyer is going through. One defended Meyer, saying, “This guy is dealing with stuff you couldn’t even imagine.” Another suggested the cameras are adding to Meyer’s stress, saying, “I feel like Bristol was only thinking of herself when she agreed to do the show.” A fellow military wife commented, “I’m sorry, but if you can’t support your man at a time like that, then that’s just messed up.”

Despite all the detractors, though, Palin does have her share of supporters too. One person on Twitter complimented her poise and sympathized with the struggle to communicate with a spouse who’s dealing with something so difficult.

Another women, who said her own spouse also has PTSD, chimed in to let Palin know she wasn’t alone.

There were also those who criticized what they felt was Meyer’s insensitivity and unfair expectations. One person — who claims to also live with PTSD — tweeted that she was “over” Meyer and scoffed at the idea that his behavior was due to anxiety. Another accused him of using his health as an excuse to be a jerk.

Over on Instagram, commenters accused Meyer of being “manipulative” and “mentally abusing” his wife. Some defended Palin, with one commenter saying, “I deal with this daily … STOP putting it on her and just get help.” Another put it bluntly, writing, “Stop being a piece of s*** to your wife because you can’t handle life.”

What many commenters were able to agree on, though, is that PTSD and its effects on marriage and family are important topics to address. According to the nonprofit PTSD United, 70 percent of adults in the U.S. have endured a traumatic event, and of these, 20 percent —or 44.7 million people — develop PTSD. An estimated 8 percent of Americans have PTSD at any given time.

If you think you or someone you love might be suffering from PTSD, the PTSD Foundation of America encourages you to call one of its many hotlines to find out how to get help.

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