Over a year of war and loss: rising from the ashes of grief to build a new life

March 13, 2023
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After the start of the full-scale invasion of Russia in Ukraine, almost every Ukrainian felt a sharp increase in the le­vel of stress, had to make important, sometimes fateful decisions, some were in the area of active fighting, experiences traumatic stress that threatens mental well-being. However, the war cannot last forever, what has been destroyed (both material and mental) can be restored and improved. However, the war is accompanied by irreversible changes — the deaths of people who will never return again, it cannot be changed, but it has to reconcile to live on. There are no exact statistics on the dead, but it is obvious that every day dozens of Ukrainian families face grief. Grief is a person’s experience caused by the loss of something important in their life. Loss and grief are usually talked about when a loved one dies, but the grieving process can follow the loss of other important life components, such as a job, home, pet, meaningful relationships, or career. In some cases, grief can last for years and disrupt functioning. The COVID-19 pandemia and the war take away people’s lives, work, destroy the usual way of life and cause crossings. This article examines the essence of the process and possible options for the course of grieving due to the loss of a loved one and features of assistance to persons with different options for the course of grieving.

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