Ukraine's Other Battle: Healing the Invisible Wounds of War

"With millions of soldiers estimated to be suffering from trauma-related conditions, not to mention civilians, Ukraine faces an urgent question: How will it treat the lasting mental scars of war? Among the emerging possibilities is psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) in treatment of war-related trauma, a controversial yet increasingly researched approach that some experts believe could play a transformative role in veteran mental health care."

"In a 2018 ambush, he was shot in the leg and abdomen while his closest friend, Ilya, was severely wounded in the neck. As Hibadulin, a self-described atheist, lost consciousness during evacuation, he began to pray. 'I begged God to leave Ilya alive and to take me. That's how much I loved my friend. I was ready to give my life for him.' Ilya did not survive."

"I understand that many people believe war is something really bad, and that's true, but after a few weeks in a war, I realized that some people, some individuals who are warriors inside, can even start to love the war."

Ukraine confronts a growing mental health crisis as millions of soldiers and civilians suffer from trauma-related conditions stemming from Russia's full-scale invasion. Beyond visible combat injuries, soldiers experience profound psychological wounds requiring urgent treatment solutions. Psychedelic-assisted therapy represents an emerging and controversial approach gaining research attention for treating war-related trauma in veteran populations. The case of Stanislav Hibadulin illustrates the severe physical and psychological toll of combat, including multiple combat wounds, survivor's guilt following his friend's death, and the complex emotional aftermath of warfare. Ukraine must develop comprehensive mental health strategies to address these invisible injuries affecting its defense forces and civilian population.

Read at Psychology Today