In the dark of a cloudy and cold morning at the end of January, this was a forbidden place.. Its location is a mystery. We can only say that it is somewhere in the Kharkiv region. Soldiers came and went from the country's only rehabilitation center for the military. The institution is dedicated to the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The military arrived here in civilian clothes so as not to attract attention..

Every week, about 100 soldiers turn to the center for help. They suffer from a range of traumatic symptoms, from insomnia and nightmares to recurring memories and heavy guilt for surviving when so many of their siblings died..

Serving in the army since 2015, Sergei Batovslay told the publication that half of his unit, more than a hundred men, have been killed since the Russian invasion began almost a year ago.. According to him, at the front one has to constantly be in a state of excitement and aggression.. And this leaves an imprint not only on the psychological, but also on the physical state.. It's very draining. Sergey suffered from panic attacks. And in civilian life, even small irritants could provoke a surge of aggression.. According to the Ukrainian military, most often “the guys leave their problems to themselves”. But at the rehab center, being able to talk alone with a psychologist or in a group with other soldiers suffering from similar symptoms was a breath of fresh air..

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The director of the center, Colonel Alexander Vasilkovsky, said that PTSD usually causes explosions, they provoke panic attacks or withdrawal symptoms.. Soldiers are haunted by the screams of fellow soldiers who were wounded or dying. Officers and psychologists assigned to units try to identify PTSD symptoms in their soldiers early so they can get them treated before their condition worsens and they become more aggressive or violent in civilian life. Families can participate in therapy sessions at the center to understand what their military relatives have been through and how to help them..

The Economist writes that the Ukrainian rehabilitation center started operating in July. Currently, about 2 thousand soldiers have passed through it.. For Ukraine, all this is a completely new experience.. Before the first phase of the war in 2014-2015, when Russia occupied Crimea and part of the Donbass, few of those who needed the help of a psychologist wanted to receive it, said Colonel Vasilkovsky. Because it was considered tantamount to being declared " Also, prior to Russian aggression, psychologists in Ukraine were more politically trained, inheriting this role from the Soviet military tradition.. Their task was not to treat soldiers with problems, but, as Major Maxim Bayda said, to punish them for not doing their job.. Now military psychologists are trying to help the soldiers and convince them that they are not guilty of anything..

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A lot has changed since 2014-2015. Some soldiers who returned home with psychological problems, like their Western counterparts after participating in the battles in Iraq and Afghanistan, began to drink, use drugs and could behave aggressively. Therefore, according to Colonel Vasilkovsky, the number of psychologists in the Ukrainian army has been increased by 40%.. And soldiers are told during training not to be shy about asking for help..

Treatment is inexpensive and costs approximately $150 per soldier per week.. But in Ukraine, the military budget that covers rehabilitation after physical injuries does not include payments for the treatment of PTSD.. Therefore, the financing of the center was shifted to the shoulders of volunteer organizations.. Therapy works.

Colonel Vasilkovsky says that after a week in the center, almost everyone who asked for help could return to the front..

However, about a million Ukrainians are now holding weapons in their hands, who have been surviving for months in very difficult conditions.. Therefore, according to the colonel, one center is not enough.

“We need a hundred,” he said, adding that civilians also need such rehabilitation centers.. And this is a completely different and even bigger problem..