What are the psychological consequences of war and why mental health is important
The war has serious psychological consequences for all Ukrainians. That is why Vadym Stolar together with like-minded people started the project "Psychological support" in autumn, 2022, joining which people receive professional help from psychologists.
Vadym Stolar: Our project is aimed at those who cannot cope with the emotional burden on their own
"Every Ukrainian is suffering the consequences of the war due to the actions of the russian aggressor in the country. And if some have the strength to continue to live and work, then others need to be helped with this. Our project is aimed at such people," explained Vadym Stolar.
According to him, the "Psychological support" is actually a club where everyone who needs it gets help to ease their mental pain, improve their emotional state and find the strength to live on in this difficult time.
"Everyone who feels strong emotional discomfort, wants to share what hurts, feels lonely, experiences a range of negative states (from anxiety and apathy to panic attacks and depression) receives support and consolation from our project", assured Vadim Stolar.
Vadym Stolar: I urge those who feel psychological discomfort to contact specialists urgently.
The problem of people’s emotional state during the war is really serious. As reported by the World Health Organization, a quarter of Ukrainians are at risk of mental disorders in the current situation. Among the main risks WHO experts name the following mental disorders: depression, anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSS). At the same time, not all cases of disorders are recorded, because most Ukrainians do not seek help from specialists.
Vadim Stolar is sure that in the current situation, people should not close in on themselves, it is necessary to seek qualified help.
Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine provided the sad data obtained as a result of the audit of the resources of services in the field of mental health. A study conducted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) found that only 10% of Ukrainians go to doctors feeling exhausted and emotionally devastated etc.
If a person feels strength to cope with psychological troubles on his own, then experts advise the following steps to ease the emotional state:
• observ sleep regime and do physical exercises;
• do not deprive yourself of thinds which bring pleasure and comfort: books, movies, hobbies;
• help others, because volunteering in times of need not only supports people, but also helps to feel needed, which has a very positive effect on well-being;
• share experiences with family and friends, listen to them;
• in case of severe symptoms of mental disorders such as insomnia, aggression, panic, depression, consult a doctor.
Very detailed review of psychological disorders in wartime and how to deal with them is published on the state portal dovidka.info.
Vadym Stolar and like-minded people implement several formats of the "Psychological support" project
Vadym Stolar and his team built the work of the "Psychological support" project in such a way that it is possible to join it in various formats. Initially, group meetings were held online, but recently several related offline events have also been held. Both options have proven their effectiveness and according to the participants' feedback brought them relief.
Questions that psychologists touch upon their work with Ukrainians who need support are very diverse. In particular, the following topics are being worked on in the project implemented under the auspices of Vadym Stolar,:
• How the background of the war affects the emotional sphere of children.
• Panic attacks: what are they, what are the causes and how to deal with them?
• Relations during the war.
• Emotional resources. Where to look for them?
• Finding life balance.
• Defending personal boundaries.
In addition, a separate area of work is the format of short videos, where psychologists give specific advice in various situations. For example, you can watch a video on how to improve your emotional state, or how to focus in order to continue to function at home and work in wartime.
Another aspect of work of psychologists from CF of Vadym Stolar is conducting a telegram chat, there is a lot of useful advice in text and video formats, announcements of events, etc. We advise you to join!
Vadym Stolar: In addition to psychological support, we provide humanitarian assistance to citizens and close requests from the military
"In addition to psychological support the efforts of our team are aimed at ensuring the primary needs of citizens in the rear and providing the necessary equipment to defenders at the front. Volunteers pack food kits every day, which are then delivered to different parts of the country. We constantly receive requests from the military and we try to close them as quickly as possible," Vadym Stolar said.
The patron emphasized that all the activities he and his associates implement to help Ukrainians are aimed at preserving and restoring the Ukrainian nation.
"We understand that Victory of Ukraine will surely come. But until that moment we have to help people endure, both physically and morally. This is why both our direct aid initiatives and social programs are important. And of course, the first priority remains support of defenders. Therefore, we will work in all these areas as long as necessary", Vadym Stolar summarized.
