For nearly three weeks, horror has been scrolling live on our screens. Large-scale destruction, untold suffering, and lives shattered by the darkest parts of human nature. Although the war that broke out in Europe did not touch Canadian soil, it permeated our daily lives, our conversations and our thoughts. It has also carved out a place for itself in the offices of psychologists.
“Obviously, [la guerre entre la Russie et l’Ukraine] affects the psychological well-being of Quebecers. It’s a concern that we hear,” says Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier, clinical psychologist.
Especially since this new unforeseen event comes after two years of the pandemic. “We were already emotionally strained. And there, we add a war situation which is very involving, which is threatening, and in which we feel powerless, ”she adds.
A reading shared by Pascale Brillon, also a clinical psychologist and professor in the Department of Psychology at UQAM. “It adds a layer of uncertainty, when we’ve had a lot for two years and we had the impression that we were finally getting out of it. And it psychologically puts before our eyes a situation that does not correspond to our values, which highlights an aspect of society that can be ugly, revolting, and which can arouse anger and even hatred. Emotions that can require a lot of energy, she continues.
In some people, fear, stress, and anxiety can also creep in alongside uncertainty, helplessness, and anger. “We hear the return of catastrophic scenarios, but with a change of subject. We went from “is there going to be another even more deadly variant” to “is NATO going to be attacked or will it be forced to get involved in the conflict”, reports Pascale Brillon.
In addition to concerns about global security (“Is there going to be a Third World War?”), Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier and Pascale Brillon also hear worries about the future, which is once again becoming uncertain (“I thought finally going to see my family in Europe this summer, but now I’m wondering if I should go”), helplessness (“What can I do to help?”) and guilt (” Why am I complaining, when what they’re going through there is so much worse?”).
A guilt fed by a dissonance that interferes between the horror of the war experienced by these people with whom we can easily identify and the pursuit of our daily activities draped in carelessness, from dinners with friends to ski outings in family, for example.
“We feel bad to continue our lives, but it’s really important to do so to maintain our psychological well-being, underlines Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier. You have to find a balance between being informed, while protecting yourself. Also being in something else, having fun and remembering that it won’t help the people there any more if I don’t allow myself to live anymore. »
Be in the action
Pascale Brillon, who founded the Alpha Institute, which specializes in the treatment of anxiety and post-traumatic stress, offers several actions to overcome current symptoms of stress and anxiety and to maximize our vitality.
The psychologist recommends in particular a dosage of exposure to violence. ” We have the impression [à la télévision et dans les images diffusées sur Internet] to be on the battlefield. It’s too much, she said. It is not necessary to have empathy and understand the international political situation. »
Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier adds in this regard that it is possible to develop symptoms of post-traumatic shock even if one is not directly in the terrifying situation. “Looking at a lot [ce qui se passe en Ukraine], we may be creating traumatic images that will affect us in the long term. »
To counter the feeling of powerlessness, Pascale Brillon’s recommendation is to take action. “If you are in distress because all your mirror neurons are activated [ce qui nous permet de nous reconnaître dans des situations vécues par des Ukrainiens], know that there are plenty of initiatives right now to make baskets, fundraisers and be in the concrete. »
She also suggests that we cultivate our “cognitive flexibility” by subtracting from our vocabulary terms such as “all Russians”, “always”, “never”, “we must”, “I must” or even “we don’t will never come out.” “Absolute words contribute to distress,” she says.
It is also essential to exercise to lower cortisol and adrenaline levels and increase endorphins, to be in touch with nature, to be exposed to daylight and to pay attention to our sleep, she said.
With this humanitarian crisis worsening every day before our eyes, a sense of injustice can also be nurtured. The outcome of this war launched by Russia could also confront us with the fact that it is not always the good guy who wins. But there is no point in expecting the worst for the moment, mentions Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier. “It may be appropriate at this time to have some perspective that allows us to hope that things will go well, but at the same time to be aware that things can turn out differently than in the films. »
And if there is a positive aspect that the pandemic has shown us, it is that we are able to stick together when the situation dictates, notes Pascale Brillon. “We know that the population is capable of mobilizing and making sacrifices for the common good. If we had asked the question three years ago, there are many people who would not have believed it. But we now know that we can count on all of us if we have to go through another collective adversity. »