The current war between Israel and Palestine is a reminder of how intense situations like this have a wide reaching impact. The war has not only left a deep-rooted impact on the people of Israel and Palestine but has certainly created a deep-rooted impact on the mental health of people globally. It not only impacts the ones facing the war, but also the relatives of people in the war areas and millions of others who are watching the events unfold.
Civilian mental health in war zones
The large-scale human displacement due to the war has created a long-term effect on the lives of people as they have to migrate to a different location every time there is a threat to their life; this has leads to feelings of isolation, helplessness and emotional setbacks in their life.
When men are usually at the war front and women are in the house or refugee camps it puts women at a high risk of facing violence and trauma that leaves a deep scar. War does not discriminate its deep-rooted impact on women and men, both physically and mentally stay with them for their lifetime.
Globally the people who are witnessing war through media platforms generally start to have anxiety issues and sleeping disorders due to the widespread circulation of disrupting images that leave a footprint in the minds of people and also create global terror and fear in the minds of civilians.
Psychological effects of war
Wars usually have a deep footprint in our minds and have a long-lasting impact too on our actions and behaviors.
The 5 psychological effects of war on our mental health are -:
- Emotional Setback
During wartime situations, the civilians and the veterans both see the separation of families and are generally forced to survive with no access to water or food and live in auto scarcity of necessities. The overall well-being of children takes a toll and the continuous conflict makes them emotionally vulnerable. If this is left untreated for long, it can grow into severe mental health issues.
- Anxiety and sense of insecurity
When the people are in war time situations they are witnessing the loss of lives in front of them, and are under constant threat and fear of losing their own life and that of their loved ones. This constant state of anxiety can further escalate and leads to permanent sleeping disorders, insomnia, and in some cases bed wetting.
Additionally, young children might become more fearful and decrease communication as a means to deal with their anxiety. These children are also start to live in isolation, making matters even worse.
- Substance abuse
Dealing with the horrors of war can be too difficult for our conscious brain and in order to escape the reality, many indulge in alcohol or substance use. This provides them with a medium to break away from the reality and enter a different dimension where they live on the support of substances and alcohol.
- Aggression
Those who are in constant wartime zones and are seeing armed groups and military groups all around due to this kind of atmosphere, there is a possibility that it might make them more aggressive due to their surrounding factors.
When the wartime situation gives people no kind of pleasure or fun and the frustration keeps on accumulating inside them, it takes a toll on their mental health.
- Psychosomatic Symptoms
Psychosomatic symptoms generally refer to the bodily pain that a person faces due to high-stress levels.There is a possibility of facing pain in the stomach, frequent headaches and in some cases there can be cases where memory disorder can also take place after a person has been in a war or war like situation. Social and Mental Impact
War generally doesn’t have only financial and economic loss but it also has some social and mental disorders.
The extent of the social and mental impact further goes into escalation in war-related activities that are equally violent and traumatic.
The wartime situations create deep-rooted impacts when they lead to the death of loved ones or major life-threatening injuries and lead to hardships in finding ways to survive.
The soldiers the veterans and all those who are the part of war zone have to face severe consequences that are not only physical but also mental and emotional.
Veterans’ Mental Health
People who have served in the war zone have a higher chance of getting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a serious traumatic disorder where the person is constantly reminded of the traumatic experience. They might face vivid and intense flashbacks, dreams and stress due to the traumatic event in the past. PTSD in war veterans is extremely common and often takes them back into the war zone even in the present moment. It is extremely difficult for them to continue normal family life after returning from war. Combat stresses in veterans are something that should be dealt with when on field as well as post their release.
The stress and anxiety levels of a veteran in the war zone are much more because the thought of killing someone and the guilt that comes after killing someone also increases the risk of suicidal thoughts or thoughts of anxiety and depression.
How to keep yourself mentally fit during war or conflict times
There are a few tips to follow so that you can have stable mental health and protect yourself from war trauma.
- Practice media boundaries
When it comes to war time situations, scrolling endlessly through social media will give the media results of very distressing images that might make you feel more horrified. So it is better to limit your media intake of combat war as the misinformation spread by the media can add to the pre-existing stress.
- Tune Into Your Feelings
When it comes to combating wartime situations, it becomes difficult to have a normal life. With the high level of anxiety and stress, it is bound to affect your personal life. It sometimes requires a step in self-care treatment to combat the war trauma.
- Build stress- building toolkit
When stress levels in your brain start to accumulate it leads to poor decision-making but some things can help. Such as:
Calm down your brain by breathing or doing relaxing meditation that can help you deal with your stress effectively.
- Try doing the things that make you happy
War trauma might take some time but can be dealt with effectively participating in the things that make you feel good and relaxed. These small steps can go a long way when it comes to recovering from the trauma.
Participation in activities such as watching movies, watching comedy shows reading, positive books and reading positive affirmations can help you deal with stress levels effectively.
- Understanding that you are not alone
Understanding the fact that you are not alone in this situation is very essential and it makes it very crucial to connect with your friends and family. Additionally, you can also reach out further to a mental health professional to lead a better quality and stress-free life.
At North American Behavioral Health Services, we understand that any conflict or war situation will have a huge impact on your mental health. Our team will not only get you in touch with experienced professionals who will help you deal with this difficult time, but also work on your trauma with you.
