Doctors told us what kind of psychological rehabilitation the Northern Military District soldiers will need

“Reliving” a combat trauma can last a year or much longer.”

“In Smolensk, an officer who came from a special operation zone was brutally beaten,” “In Transbaikalia, two disabled military servicemen were attacked in a cafe,” “In the Kirov region, a young volunteer guy who came on vacation from a combat zone was killed,” “In the Perm region, he died in an accident participant in a special operation”… Such emergency incidents happen regularly. We talked with a military psychologist and psychotherapist about why SVO soldiers in civilian life end up in criminal reports.

“In a combat zone, the value system is: if you survive, you won’t survive,” says military psychologist Alexei Zakharov. “To defend oneself, a person must learn aggression.” There is a different psychology, a different perception of the world, which is determined by the use of weapons and force. People in the NWO zone are getting used to it. And then they react to what is happening from these positions. It becomes habitual for them. When they find themselves in civilian life, the fighters have not yet rebuilt themselves.

Alexey Zakharov himself repeatedly visited “hot spots” and was a participant in hostilities in the 90s.

According to the psychologist, people get used to bare life in a war zone. But at home everything is different. Fighters often perceive the situation around them acutely. It seems to them that people are indifferent. That they are not understood and underestimated.

— Those who returned from the Northern Military District zone have their own understanding of justice. It is not the same as for civilians. They often feel “extra” in society. That is why we are talking about the rehabilitation of military personnel, as well as their socialization. They need help adapting to a peaceful, normal life.

Psychotherapist, Candidate of Medical Sciences Sergei Loktionov, in turn, recalls the “Afghan syndrome” and “Chechen syndrome”, which were observed among fighters due to psychotraumatic situations.

“They were all on adrenaline, their nervous system was severely exhausted,” explains Sergei Loktionov. “Military actions are associated with very strong emotions. Then, in their bland, measured, peaceful life, they tried to receive strong emotions. But in everyday life this is not the case. All people who are familiar with PTSD need a therapist.

As Sergei Loktionov says, in France, for example, if you witnessed a fatal accident, saw the bodies of the dead, you are entitled to a free psychotherapist. And the fighters in the combat zone are seeing people die before their eyes. They themselves are close to death.

— I provided therapy to soldiers returning from “hot spots.” They observed a large number of family and everyday scenes. They themselves suffered and others suffered. Conventional, verbal psychotherapy often did not work with them. We had the task of developing a technique associated with trance states and hypnosis.

According to the psychotherapist, it is sometimes difficult for soldiers who have returned from a combat zone to adapt to civilian life.

— We need specially developed programs and government subsidies.

According to experts, “living through” a combat injury can last a year or much longer.