‘I can sleep now, I don’t cry’: Ukrainians in Ireland turn to therapy after fleeing the war [Video]

MANY UKRAINIANS WHO have moved to Ireland since the war broke out there in February 2022 are seeking help for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health issues. 

“A lot of people have PTSD,” psychotherapist Violeta Bialkovska told The Journal.

A number of her clients have lost loved ones in the war or have relatives currently fighting in the conflict. In some cases, people’s homes have been destroyed.

Violeta Bialkovska

Violeta said people’s emotional state is often worsened by the “uncertainty” surrounding their own, and Ukraine’s, future.

It it is not known when the war will end and whether there will be a place to return to.

Moving to a new country where they don’t speak the language and often cannot work in their usual profession has compounded their stress, she explained.

Violeta is one of four Ukrainian therapists recruited last year by the Irish Red Cross to deliver 10 free online therapy …