The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation’s Project “Overcome. Psychologist supports” how to cope with depression

The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation continues a cycle of “on air” broadcastings on provision of psychological support to the residents of Donbass. Online broadcasts and webinars are held within the framework of the project “Museum of Civilian Voices of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation” on the digital platforms of the Foundation. Viewers can ask experts the questions that concern them the most.

What is depression and how to deal with it? How to tell depression from a bad mood? How does the war in Donbass and the COVID-19 pandemic affect the psychological state of Ukrainians? These and other questions from the audience were answered by a psychotherapist, clinical psychologist, specialist in crisis psychology and overcoming traumatic experience, coordinator of the psychological service of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, Alena Lukyanchuk. Since 2014, she has been helping the residents of Donbass cope with the negative consequences of the events they have experienced.

The expert noted that civilians in Donbass quite often face depression.

– People are beginning to realize that the past, pre-war life may not return. And now this problem is very urgent, especially among the elderly people. Along with depression, people who live along the contact line and displaced people have anxiety disorders, panic attacks and somatic illnesses, the speaker shared.

Alena Lukyanchuk also spoke about the difference between a bad mood, blues and depression.

– Bad moods are of a short-term nature and, most likely, you can quickly switch your attention to other things. The blues, on the other hand, have a specific cause and are more lasting. In turn, depression is characterized by a large number of manifestations: lack of sleep, mood, appetite, refusal to communicate with the outside world, permanent physical and emotional fatigue.

The expert also formulated recommendations for people who feel that they are in a state of depression.

– Firstly, you need to stop feeling ashamed that you are not okay and that you are tired. Secondly, it is worth seeking help from a qualified psychiatrist or psychotherapist. Thirdly, try to structure your life in this period of time – do not drink alcohol, normalize your diet and sleep patterns. After all, the worse you feel physically, the worse your general mental state is, – summed up the psychologist.

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

You can also contact the Foundation’s psychologists for help by calling the hotline: 0800509001.

The unique Museum of Civilian Voices of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation is a safe, confidential space where residents of Donbass can tell about their experiences for the sake of the future, for the sake of peace. You can find the stories of people from the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, as well as leave your own, here: https://civilvoicesmuseum.org/ru/stories.

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