After a traumatic experience, you become different.After returning from the war, you will have the main challenge – to realize that you will no longer be the same as before. This is the main difficulty that is inside.Oleksandr Chamorsov, chief psychologist of the Crisis Support Hotline of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine talks about how to cope with this challenge.Oleksandr is a veteran himself, so he understands the subject better than anyone else.Here are some tips from Oleksandr for veterans integrating into civilian life.
🟩 Work on understanding that you are already “here and now”.For a certain period, you may have the desire to return to your comrades. Then you are as if between two worlds. This period must be lived. Realize that there is no going back to war, but there are other options to be useful. Here and now.
🟩 Be alone with yourself if you want to.At the first time of return, the desire to be alone is normal. It is important that relatives who stay nearby understand this need and provide such an opportunity. Time will pass, and you will return to yourself and to a peaceful life.
🟩 Contact psychologists for advice and support.There are two pathways we offer veterans.
1⃣ The first is a hotline at 0800 33 20 29. 24/7 and free of charge.
2⃣ The second is weekly support groups. Their format is mixed, because both veterans and family members come.It is important for us to be there at the right moment.
