Restoring mental health in hot spots of military conflicts
In times of war, mental health suffers in all individuals. However, for military personnel who have been in active conflict zones, this issue becomes particularly acute. Almost every one of them requires assistance, even if it seems from the outside that everything is fine. This is why the state provides them with the opportunity to receive a comprehensive range of services for both diagnosis and treatment free of charge. Psychological rehabilitation for military personnel is a set of measures aimed at improving and restoring psychological functions of the body. With its successful and, most importantly, timely implementation, individuals can quickly adapt to civilian life and avoid many problems often faced by those with combat experience.
Why is psychological rehabilitation so important?
Traumatic events always leave an imprint on our psychological well-being. During war, there are numerous such situations, often leading to post-traumatic stress syndrome, depression, and other severe conditions commonly diagnosed in combatants. Without assistance, this often translates into alcohol or drug abuse, somatic disorders, and significantly increases the risk of suicide. Therefore, psychological help is crucial, not only for veterans who, due to injury or other reasons, will not return to the battlefield but also for active-duty military personnel. Both categories require intervention from specialists, with the difference lying in the methods they employ.
What tasks does psychological rehabilitation address?
Psychological rehabilitation for soldiers aims to accomplish various tasks. Here are the most crucial ones:
- Normalization of psychological state.
- Restoration of mental functions affected by war.
- Reconciliation with one’s own self-image, especially concerning severe physical injuries, such as limb loss.
- Establishing relationships with the environment.
- Seeking new values and meanings in life.
- Self-identification – finding answers to the question, “Who am I?”
- Forming an internal world considering the experience gained during war.
- Guidance in post-traumatic growth.
Based on this list, rehabilitation not only helps in psychological recovery but also facilitates interpersonal relationships and eases psychological adaptation to life changes resulting from war.
Who primarily needs psychological rehabilitation?
Intense mental and physical exertion, presence in direct combat zones, the death of comrades and civilians – all these and many other factors contribute to the development of acute stress situations and post-traumatic stress syndrome. In such cases, psychological assistance must be provided as quickly as possible. Among the most alarming symptoms are:
- Heightened anxiety.
- Episodes of anger and aggression.
- Nervous breakdowns.
- Increased excitability or apathy.
- Intensified feelings of guilt.
- Suicide attempts or discussions of suicide.
- These symptoms can manifest individually or in combination.
However, the presence of even one of them is a reason to seek professional help.
Psychologists note three main categories of patients who require psychological rehabilitation during wartime:
- Soldiers with psychological trauma.
- Soldiers after concussions.
- Soldiers who have experienced captivity, torture, etc.
Features of psychological rehabilitation for military personnel
First and foremost, it is essential to emphasize that social-psychological rehabilitation for military personnel in Ukraine is guaranteed by the state and provided free of charge, so anyone in need can seek help. There are various ways to access this assistance, such as obtaining a referral from a family doctor or going to a psychotherapist independently. Specialized rehabilitation centers are also available, and if a military servicemember has a physical injury and is hospitalized, they can receive assistance there.
Psychological rehabilitation always follows an individual plan developed based on a confidential conversation with the military personnel and their complaints. This personalized approach allows achieving positive changes in the shortest possible time. Rehabilitation includes the use of medication as well as individual or group work with a psychotherapist. Among the most popular methods used by specialists are:
- Cognitive training.
- Vestibular training.
- Neurofeedback therapy.
- Individual and group psychotherapy.
- Meditative and trance techniques.
- Resource psychotherapy.
- Projective techniques and methods of self-identification and self-actualization.
Significant attention should also be given to sports activities, art therapy, equine therapy, and other methods that enhance the effect of primary treatment. The support of family and close ones plays a crucial role in helping military personnel recover more quickly.
The project of the Association of Resource Psychology and Psychotherapy “Molfa Hub” assists military personnel and veterans through crisis counseling, psychotherapy, and its own psychorehabilitation programs based in various locations, including the Carpathians, recreation centers, and sanatoriums.”