The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation’s Project To Overcome. Psychologist’s Help: What is Fear and How Dangerous It Is

The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation continues the series of its live broadcasts on psychological assistance provided to Donbass residents. Online broadcasts and webinars are organized on the Foundation’s digital platforms as part of the project the Museum of Civilian Voices of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation. Viewers can ask the experts questions that are of a major concern for them. 

What is fear and how dangerous it is? How does constant fear affect the mental and physical health of civilians in Donbass? Is it possible to overcome fear and how to do it? A certified Gestalt therapist and a family psychologist Kateryna Vepro gave answers to these and other questions of the audience.

Constant fear for their own lives and the lives of their loved ones, anxiety and uncertainty are the factors that have an extremely negative impact on the mental and physical health of civilians in Donbass. 

‘First, most people suffer from sleep disorders. Anything that may be reminiscent of the war evokes the feeling of fear. Fear grows into a state of permanent anxiety, because people are constantly waiting for danger. This not only wears out their mental strength, but also directly affects their health, in particular the nervous and cardiovascular systems,’ said Kateryna Vepro.

In addition, the expert shared some tips on how to overcome the feeling of fear.

‘You need to understand for yourself what this fear is connected with. How real it is. If this fear is an assumed, imaginary one, then you need to use methods of rationalization and operate on the facts. If this fear is a truly real one, then people need to create for themselves the safest possible place in a dangerous situation.’ 

To find out if you need psychological assistance, you can take a test on the website of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation: akhmetovfoundation.org/test/nuzhna-ly-vam-psyhologycheskaya-pomosch

You can also seek the help of the Foundation’s psychologists by calling the hotline 0800509001.

The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation’s unique project, the Museum of Civilian Voices, is a safe and trustworthy space where residents of Donbass can share what they lived through, in the name of the future, and in the name of peace. You can learn the stories of people from Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as leave your own story here: https://civilvoicesmuseum.org/stories.