Oriental Net·Zhongxiang News Reporter Zhong Shuyu
Since the civil war in 1992, most people in Bosnia-Herzegovina (hereinafter referred to as “Bosnia and Herzegovina”) have lived in the shadow of war.
's painful experience makes it difficult for them to get out of the trauma. Many people choose to go to the health center regularly for treatment. But just 25 years after the end of the war, the new crown epidemic, a “panic” that hit the world, hit the Balkan countries hard. The
epidemic intensified the "war trauma"
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the civil war in the former Yugoslavia from 1992 to 1995 caused a large number of casualties and losses. The war killed more than 100,000 people and forced 2.2 million people to leave their homes.
For those who have personally experienced the war, the suffering caused by the war is far more than the poverty in life, but also the psychological impact of long-term torture. For some people, it was a war they wanted to forget and couldn't forget. Twenty-five years after the end of the Bosnia and Herzegovina War, some witnesses are still living in the shadow of the war.
25 years after the end of the war, the new crown epidemic has swept across again.
As the number of confirmed cases in Bosnia and Herzegovina surged again, the epidemic has brought more troubles to this not-rich country.
Some people think it doesn't matter, but some people feel more anxious because of this. The memory of the war is also changing the people's view of the new crown epidemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"War is the most difficult experience in my life," a 58-year-old woman Sutalo is participating in a group therapy course to overcome the trauma of the war.
Sutalo experienced bombing, famine, and was forced to interrupt his studies due to the war. Now she will paint and exercise in Sarajevo parks with other people with similar trauma.
Now, while she is undergoing rehabilitation, she will also be reminded to see the new crown epidemic as a more serious risk. "The world has experienced plague and cholera, but these are only water under the bridge under the current epidemic." According to data from the health authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, about half of the population of nearly 3.5 million in this Balkan country Humans have suffered a certain degree of trauma due to war.
In recent months, there has been a surge of patients seeking treatment in health clinics. Mental health professionals worry that the current epidemic will exacerbate mental problems and other health risks for these people.
Some patients will think of the state of war due to the epidemic prevention and control life: staying indoors and unable to go out, crowded in public places are not safe, worried about food shortages, separated from family and friends due to epidemic prevention measures, etc... these Demands will increase their anxiety.
But not everyone can realize the severity of the epidemic. Mastorovich, a psychologist in Sarajevo, said that past war experience will cause some Boss to downplay the threat of this epidemic, thereby increasing the risk of spreading the new crown.
"Those who have survived the war may have different views on danger. Normally, if they are not hungry or cold, or will not face bombs anytime and anywhere, they will not feel in danger. "Mastorovich said, war survivors will "unscrupulously" ignore the epidemic. This mentality of
will make it easier for this group of people to "play down the crisis and be irresponsible," Mastorovi expressed concern.
"New crown fatigue" is taking shape
In addition to the "double trauma", psychologists believe that what casts another shadow over the epidemic prevention in Bosnia and Herzegovina is people's "feeling of fatigue" about the epidemic. Z3z
Clinical Psychologist Setik said that he is seeing more and more people, including those who have not been diagnosed with mental disorders, complaining about the new crown epidemic, they have become more extremely irritable and physically and mentally exhausted.
"In the past 7 to 8 months, our people have generally become exhausted by the plethora of information, so they began to resist."
As the European epidemic enters the outbreak period again, Bosnia and Herzegovina has also constantly refreshed its list. The number of new diagnoses per day. The Federal Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina stipulated last month that all public hospitals must use one third of medical resources to treat patients with COVID-19.
However, in dealing with the impact of the new crown epidemic, the Bosnia and Herzegovina government believes that it will handle better than other countries in some aspects. Under the influence of the war,
benefited from other countriesWith financial support from countries and international organizations, Bosnia and Herzegovina has established a psychological treatment support network for people traumatized by war in the past 25 years. There are nearly 70 community mental health centers across the country.
"We have a lot of relevant experience to share." Said Selkz, an assistant to a local health minister. He also pointed out that people from Serbia and Croatia who have also experienced the civil war in the former Yugoslavia would call the hotspots of these health centers to inquire about the psychological trauma caused by the war or the new crown.
But Selkez believes that, based on his experience, the psychological impact of the new crown epidemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina and even on a global scale is longer and more serious than people think.
"Many collective trauma experiences have something in common," Selkez said. "They create a sense of hopelessness and insecurity. This uncertainty stems from the unknown in people's minds about the source of the trauma."
