Authorities in Russian regions are refusing to acknowledge the problem of alcohol addiction and its consequences among those returning from the war in Ukraine.
About it said Head of the Committee of Families of Soldiers of the Fatherland Samara Region Ekaterina Kolotovkina, которая asked "Avenge the tears of the mothers" of those killed in the shelling in Makeyevka on New Year's Eve 2023.
According to her, many military personnel turn to drinking to cope with stress, which leads to addiction and divorce. Women often keep quiet about the situation, not wanting to air their dirty laundry in public.
Regional authorities, however, deny the problem of alcohol addiction among those returning from the war.
"When I travel to roundtables in various regions, I often ask whether there is assistance available for families in which a service member begins to abuse. To which the authorities respond that there is no problem."
— Kolotovkina wrote on her VK page.
The wife of a Samara general believes that "society must be prepared, that even heroes need help and support." But all this should be anonymous, and treatment should be provided without registration, so as to avoid problems with obtaining a driver's license and finding employment.
According to Kolotovkina, if we don’t learn to solve the problem now, then we’ll be overwhelmed by requests, problems, divorces, and tragedies.
Those returning from war often become "heroes" of drunken brawls, some of which have fatal consequences. This happens in planes, + the streets or other public places.
In June, in an interview with Vedomosti, Russia's Deputy Minister of Defense Anna Tsyvyleva acknowledged the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder in 20% of those who returned from the war, who require the help of clinical psychologists and psychiatrists. The rest, she says, work with social psychologists.
In April, the Ministry of Health released statistics on the provision of psychological assistance to war veterans and their families. According to the ministry, consultations were provided to more than 18 thousand people, every fourth of whom was referred to a psychiatrist.
Photo: from personal VK page