Drinking coffee in Kyiv, my friend the physical therapist says we all have PTSD. I’ve never been a fan of diagnoses. This is both a gift and a fault. It’s warm at home and the lights are on. No words can describe how tired I am. On Monday I met a soldier who had shrapnel lodged in many parts of his body for a couple months while he was a prisoner of war. They were surgically removed only after he returned to Ukraine in the fall.
Regarding PTSD: I've been guilty of broadly assuming that Ukraine as a whole will face some level of PTSD when this atrocity is over. Your opinion on the matter is humbling, however. Ukrainians have shown inconceivable strength and resolve in living and fighting through this immoral war. Inconceivable to this Westerner at least. This is not familiar territory for society in America. Our fight for independence is literally ancient history. Yes, we have our own tragedies over here and they cannot be overlooked but we've never been tested on a level that Ukraine is facing.
There's strength in your country's history. That strength seems to be deeply inherent in your culture. Maybe that's the difference in how Ukraine will deal with the aftermath. Maybe the physical rebuilding of the nation will help to heal the unseen wounds in your souls.
I do hope that the knowledge and resources are widely available for those whose trauma lingers after crossing the finish line to peace and freedom. It's the least that can be done for such courageous defenders of freedom and democracy.
I'm thinking of you and all Ukrainians during this time. Thank you for telling us your stories. It helps us remember our humanity, and helps me not to take my current comfortable life for granted.
Jan 7, 2023·edited Jan 7, 2023Liked by Larissa Babij
Prescient, amazing report. It's encouraging that the light of intelligence is shining so brightly in spite of the horrific circumstances, especially with no clear end in sight. As our president Eisenhower of long ago stated , " It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog!" Glory to Ukraine!
Your writing takes me back to time spent with my grandmother, sitting together in the twilight (she would never turn in the electric light until all sunlight had faded) and hearing stories about Latvia before the war, and how beautiful it was. The Russians took my grandfather on New Year’s Eve, 1940. My grandmother escaped on the last train out in 1940. She too wished that “none of us would ever see such times”.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. I am deeply affected by this war, mainly because I feel so unable to help those affected. Most of the free world is behind Ukraine, but I am frustrated with the slow response to provide arms to the Ukrainian forces. Thanks for including the links. They are very helpful.
I would respect Substack Reads more if it would post a story from the people in the Donbass region, who have been getting shelled for the past 8 years. Both sides need to be represented, not just another tear-jerker story to support the illegal government in Ukraine. And this doesn't show the side of the many Ukrainians in western Ukraine who have been murdered by the Zelensky government.
Makes me wonder if Substack isn't another "state-affiliated" medium, a la Twitter.
Sitting far away, deep inside the western coast of the United States, I appreciate these posts because we have in-laws living in Kyiv. Yes, we are safe and comfortable, but there is an awkward form of PTSD that comes with constantly worrying about those in harm's way.
I sense a one sided opinion here regarding “it was the Russian’s” who are responsible for the bombings and death of civilians to appease the NATO mainstream narrative.
Loved your clear writing style, expressing emotions in such a way that is easily relatable. I grew up in israel- constantly under threat- don’t touch that handbag on the bench in the park, it could be a bomb, stay clear of crowded places, don’t trust people you don’t know, avoid buses that tend to be targets, seal off your apartment from bombing in the Gulf war….etc. Somehow I stayed un-hating, and able to see all sides of that conflict, though truth be told, after 23 years of it, I opted to go live abroad…
I enjoyed reading your story- please keep writing. That too can be helpful in your healing process… whenever that can begin - let’s hope sooner rather than later.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I don't know you and I will never meet you but today's technology makes it possible to know someone else's pain from far away. Only if we opt out of the fiat ponzi through which war is funded can we stop such suffering and move forward as a civilization. Stories like yours move me to continue on the path I'm walking. If they can't print the money to fund the war and shift the powers so the broken system we live in works for them there is no war. This is the time to transcend as a whole species and stop fighting each other due to a broken monetary system. And I believe change is here. The light has been lit. Bitcoin will unite us all. It might take a lifetime for this to manifest but the creation of a global communication layer (the internet) will bring us closer and closer together as a species. As we are all one and the same. Driven by the same motives, fears, feelings.
Be well, may your wounds heal, also your physical ones. And may you be healthy.
Regarding PTSD: I've been guilty of broadly assuming that Ukraine as a whole will face some level of PTSD when this atrocity is over. Your opinion on the matter is humbling, however. Ukrainians have shown inconceivable strength and resolve in living and fighting through this immoral war. Inconceivable to this Westerner at least. This is not familiar territory for society in America. Our fight for independence is literally ancient history. Yes, we have our own tragedies over here and they cannot be overlooked but we've never been tested on a level that Ukraine is facing.
There's strength in your country's history. That strength seems to be deeply inherent in your culture. Maybe that's the difference in how Ukraine will deal with the aftermath. Maybe the physical rebuilding of the nation will help to heal the unseen wounds in your souls.
I do hope that the knowledge and resources are widely available for those whose trauma lingers after crossing the finish line to peace and freedom. It's the least that can be done for such courageous defenders of freedom and democracy.
Thank you for sharing your story. It means a lot.
Slava Ukrayini!!
I'm thinking of you and all Ukrainians during this time. Thank you for telling us your stories. It helps us remember our humanity, and helps me not to take my current comfortable life for granted.
Prescient, amazing report. It's encouraging that the light of intelligence is shining so brightly in spite of the horrific circumstances, especially with no clear end in sight. As our president Eisenhower of long ago stated , " It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog!" Glory to Ukraine!
Your writing takes me back to time spent with my grandmother, sitting together in the twilight (she would never turn in the electric light until all sunlight had faded) and hearing stories about Latvia before the war, and how beautiful it was. The Russians took my grandfather on New Year’s Eve, 1940. My grandmother escaped on the last train out in 1940. She too wished that “none of us would ever see such times”.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. I am deeply affected by this war, mainly because I feel so unable to help those affected. Most of the free world is behind Ukraine, but I am frustrated with the slow response to provide arms to the Ukrainian forces. Thanks for including the links. They are very helpful.
Wow. I know I’m on the other side of the wall but thank you for sharing your side 💕
I would respect Substack Reads more if it would post a story from the people in the Donbass region, who have been getting shelled for the past 8 years. Both sides need to be represented, not just another tear-jerker story to support the illegal government in Ukraine. And this doesn't show the side of the many Ukrainians in western Ukraine who have been murdered by the Zelensky government.
Makes me wonder if Substack isn't another "state-affiliated" medium, a la Twitter.
Sitting far away, deep inside the western coast of the United States, I appreciate these posts because we have in-laws living in Kyiv. Yes, we are safe and comfortable, but there is an awkward form of PTSD that comes with constantly worrying about those in harm's way.
Our thoughts are with you all over there in Ukraine. May the country muster the strength to overcome.
I sense a one sided opinion here regarding “it was the Russian’s” who are responsible for the bombings and death of civilians to appease the NATO mainstream narrative.
Loved your clear writing style, expressing emotions in such a way that is easily relatable. I grew up in israel- constantly under threat- don’t touch that handbag on the bench in the park, it could be a bomb, stay clear of crowded places, don’t trust people you don’t know, avoid buses that tend to be targets, seal off your apartment from bombing in the Gulf war….etc. Somehow I stayed un-hating, and able to see all sides of that conflict, though truth be told, after 23 years of it, I opted to go live abroad…
I enjoyed reading your story- please keep writing. That too can be helpful in your healing process… whenever that can begin - let’s hope sooner rather than later.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I don't know you and I will never meet you but today's technology makes it possible to know someone else's pain from far away. Only if we opt out of the fiat ponzi through which war is funded can we stop such suffering and move forward as a civilization. Stories like yours move me to continue on the path I'm walking. If they can't print the money to fund the war and shift the powers so the broken system we live in works for them there is no war. This is the time to transcend as a whole species and stop fighting each other due to a broken monetary system. And I believe change is here. The light has been lit. Bitcoin will unite us all. It might take a lifetime for this to manifest but the creation of a global communication layer (the internet) will bring us closer and closer together as a species. As we are all one and the same. Driven by the same motives, fears, feelings.
Be well, may your wounds heal, also your physical ones. And may you be healthy.