Medical care

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

If you have experienced a serious trauma or life-threatening event – whether during war or in a non-combat situation – you may develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress, or what is commonly known as PTSD. During the event, you may have felt as if your life or the lives of others were in danger or that you had no control over what was happening. While serving in the military, you may have witnessed people being injured or killed, or you may have been physically injured yourself.

Some of the most common symptoms of PTSD include: recurring memories or nightmares related to the events, insomnia, loss of interest and feeling numb, anger or irritability, constant alertness, although there are other ways in which PTSD can affect your daily life. Sometimes these symptoms don’t appear for months or even years after the traumatic event or after returning from combat. They can also come and go. If these problems persist or they interfere with your daily life, you may have post-traumatic stress disorder.

You cannot wait for these symptoms to “go away”. Usually, this only makes the problem worse. Contact us, and we will help you determine what is going on!

Depressive disorders

Everyone experiences sadness, irritability, or loss of energy from time to time, but these feelings usually pass. Depression differs from these occasional feelings in its severity and duration. If you are depressed, you may find it difficult to carry out everyday activities and you may have problems that cause your relationships to suffer. You may be stuck on things that are not going well in your life and find it difficult to see the positive. You may not enjoy the activities, people and things you used to enjoy.

Depression is a common and serious problem that affects people in different ways. It affects not only your mood, but also your body, actions and thoughts. Depression can interfere with daily life and normal functioning.
Depression can affect anyone – young and old, male and female, civilian and military, and all walks of life. Stressful situations or traumatic events that sometimes occur in our lives, especially during war, can trigger the onset of depression.

Some veterans experience depression because of the loss of someone close to them, such as a loved one or a friend from their unit. Others may experience depression after losing or changing jobs. If this sadness lasts for more than a few weeks or seriously affects your life, it may be a sign of depression.

Fortunately, there are effective treatments and tools available to combat depression. Regardless of what stressors you may be facing or where your depression is coming from, it is important to seek treatment.

Even if first-line therapy (psychotherapy and antidepressants) doesn’t help you, don’t be discouraged! Among our partners are medical institutions that specialise in cases of pharmaceutically resistant depression and PTSD, using the latest, innovative techniques.

Anxiety disorders

Feeling anxious is a normal response to stress, and everyone experiences anxiety from time to time. In general, anxiety helps people cope with circumstances and does not last very long. But when anxiety becomes excessive, inappropriate for the situation, or lasts too long, it can interfere with your daily activities and your ability to get along with others.

Some veterans develop severe anxiety after a trauma or life-threatening experience. For others, stressful life events, such as the transition from military to civilian life or difficult work situations, can trigger anxiety disorders.

There are several types of anxiety disorders with different symptoms. Some people have recurrent short-term episodes of intense fear, called panic attacks, while others experience anxiety, tension and fear in the background, most of the time, or in everyday life situations. Sometimes this anxiety can cause physical symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, trembling, sweating, or a feeling of fear. Anxiety disorders can also include persistent, intrusive, and unwanted thoughts or behavioural changes.

Common types of anxiety disorders include panic disorder, social phobia, generalised anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Regardless of the condition you may have, it’s important to know that most people who suffer from an anxiety disorder can improve their condition by seeking professional help.

Sucide prevention

If you are having serious thoughts about death or suicide, or are thinking about harming or killing yourself, it is important to talk to someone right away. If you feel you are in a crisis situation, regardless of whether you are thinking about suicide, you can also contact the hotline for war victims at 0800 211 444 or the crisis line for veterans from the Ukrainian Veterans’ Fund: 0800 33 20 29. It is better to call earlier than to wait until the problems get worse.

Regardless of the reason, people try to commit suicide not because they want to die, but because they see suicide as the only way to escape the pain of life. It’s important to realise that there are many ways to solve any problem – even if you don’t see a solution yourself. Sometimes you need an outside perspective to see new answers to personal problems.

For some civilians or veterans, the emotional pain may stem from traumatic events, such as the death of someone close to them, seeing people die while serving in the military, or experiencing sexual violence or abuse. Other veterans’ difficulties may be the result of a major setback, such as a divorce, loss of a job, or a sense of dishonour. Some people may consider suicide due to the accumulation of stress, depression, anxiety or PTSD that makes life seem unbearable. There are effective treatments and resources for each of these conditions.

The effects of concussion (mild traumatic brain injury)

There are many causes of traumatic brain injury (TBI), or concussion. For example, when the head hits the windscreen in a car accident, a blow from a fall, sports or other recreational activities, or an injury from a nearby explosion during military service. Whatever the cause, a TBI can affect the ability to think, control emotions, walk or talk, as well as the ability to see or hear.

TBI can be mild to severe. Mild injuries are accompanied by short-term changes or loss of consciousness. Severe injuries involve prolonged periods of unconsciousness and memory loss around the event.

TBI can affect many areas of a person’s life, including physical function, thinking and behaviour. These effects sometimes cause other difficulties such as sleep problems, depression and anxiety. Even a “mild contusion” can lead to disability, suicidal thoughts, problems with adaptation to civilian life and comorbidities.

If the symptoms of a concussion do not completely disappear within a year, a person is likely to develop post-combat syndrome.

Its manifestations may include: headaches, difficulty speaking, blurred vision or sensitivity to light, hearing problems or sensitivity to noise, weakness, dizziness or balance problems. Cognitive and emotional impairments may also occur, such as difficulties with concentration, memory and attention, and emotional lability,

To treat the consequences of TBI, you need to see a specialist: a neurologist, psychologist and otolaryngologist.

Chronic pain

When a person experiences pain in one or more parts of the body for at least three to six months, it is considered chronic pain. The pain can be aching or severe and often seems worse than short-term pain because of its long duration. Different types of illnesses and injuries can cause chronic pain.

Many people experience chronic pain at some point in their lives. Chronic pain can interfere with everyday activities such as sitting, standing and waiting in line. Many people dealing with chronic pain find that the constant feeling of pain and the limitations it places on their daily activities make them feel depressed or irritable. Some people become depressed or lose hope if they think the pain will never end or that there is nothing they can do about it.

Some veterans suffer from chronic pain due to the long-term effects of injuries sustained in the military, such as a “phantom limb” after an amputation or back or spinal cord injuries after an accident. Often, injuries sustained during military training or service may appear to have healed, but with age they can reappear and become a source of chronic pain. It is often difficult to identify the source of long-term pain, and it can be significantly exacerbated by a person’s negative emotional state:

• feelings of anger at the injustice of the injury,
• blaming others, God, fate or oneself for what happened,
• feelings of depression or hopelessness about life after the trauma,
• denial of the changes that have occurred in your body.

Therefore, you do not have to just live with chronic pain. Depending on what is causing the pain, there are different options for treating chronic pain, such as

• Physical therapy to increase your level of pain-free activity
• Psychotherapy or counselling to change the way you feel about or cope with your pain
• Relaxation and mindfulness techniques to manage the stress of chronic pain
• In some cases, modern medicines or other treatments can reduce the level of severe pain.

Alcohol, drug and gambling use

Many people drink alcohol responsibly or take drugs, such as opioid painkillers, for medical purposes. To decide whether your alcohol or substance use is unhealthy or puts you at risk, it is important to stop and think about how these actions may be affecting your life.

Although it may seem like using alcohol or drugs is helping you cope in the short term, it may actually be making your problems worse. Using alcohol or drugs to cope can be harmful to your health, interfere with your work and damage your relationships. Taking action to address your substance use and its symptoms may seem unnecessary or perhaps overwhelming at first. But for many people, it is an important step towards happier, healthier relationships and a fuller life.

Do you suffer from a problems with alcohol or drugs? Try answering the following questions:

• Does your alcohol or drug use interfere with your life at home, work or school?
• Do you sometimes drink a lot of drinks in a row, or do you take more than you planned to, or do you find it difficult to stop drinking or using drugs?
• Have your friends or family said they are worried about you using alcohol or drugs?
• Are your relationships suffering because of your alcohol or drug use?
• Have you been in situations while using alcohol or drugs where you or others could be hurt (e.g. driving, swimming, operating machinery, etc.)?
• Have you wanted to cut down or tried to cut down on your alcohol or drug use?
• Have you found that you need to drink or use drugs more than usual to achieve the same effect as they once had? Or that the same amount of drinks has less effect than before?
• Have you given up things that are important and interesting to you or cut back on them to drink or use drugs?
• Have you ever “blacked out” and not been able to remember what happened while under the influence of alcohol or drugs?
• When the effects of the drugs or alcohol wore off, did you feel sick, have trouble sleeping, or experience something unreal?

Unknowingly, you may be drinking or taking drugs to try to cope with bad memories or traumatic experiences from your time in the military or other difficult feelings. Your home situation may be far from ideal, or you may have difficulty relating to other people.

Problems with gambling can also occur.

While many people gamble from time to time, some people gamble even when it causes problems for themselves or others, when it negatively affects their financial situation, work, relationships with family or friends, or health.

They may want, need, or have tried to stop gambling but feel they cannot. They may start gambling more frequently or risk higher and higher stakes. These are some of the warning signs of gambling addiction.

For some veterans, gambling starts out as fun, but can become a primary way to relieve stress or boredom or to feel better during difficult times. Some veterans may gamble out of a sense of risk and excitement. Gambling can be a distraction or perhaps a way to avoid some of the difficulties that can arise during the transition from military to civilian life. One of the symptoms of a serious gambling problem is that you continue to gamble even if you no longer find it pleasurable.

When gambling becomes a habit, it can cause problems with your work, relationships, and mental or physical health. People who gamble compulsively may have financial problems, go into debt, or constantly ask others for gifts or loans. They may even steal from family, friends or their employers to continue gambling. The need to gamble, the problems it causes, and the stress of not being able to stop can be associated with guilt, depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol or drug problems, bipolar disorder, and health problems.

Timely access to our specialists will help you cope with any addiction and return to a harmonious life.