First of all, it is necessary to correctly define people who survived captivity. The "Accessibility Handbook" suggests using the term "captivity veterans" without being tied to official status, but taking into account the experience of being in captivity.
The Russian-Ukrainian war is characterized by Russia's complete disregard for the norms of international humanitarian law. This especially applies to people who have been captured - Russia uses prisoners of war to obtain additional information, take revenge, demoralize, intimidate and undermine the fighting spirit of Ukrainian Defenders. The prisoners are kept in inhumane conditions, various types of torture are applied to them. For a person, being in captivity is associated with total control over their life, the lack of the ability to protect themselves, which in itself is very dangerous.
The experience of captivity and torture greatly affects the psycho-emotional state of the individual, often profoundly changing it. A person loses a sense of basic trust in the world, trust in other people, and self-belief may be undermined. And in order to later regain the ability to trust, it may take years and considerable support.
If the captivity was long-term, it can affect the perception of time and space. Especially immediately after release, time frames can be distorted, the past is confused with the future, and it is difficult to calculate time and relate distance.
This can lead to a sense of loss of one's own integrity and worth. Such people may be very sensitive to their own boundaries or, conversely, may not feel them and not monitor the boundaries of other people. Those who have survived torture may remain for a long time feeling completely vulnerable and insecure.
When contacting people who have survived captivity, it is very important to be careful about boundaries (psychological, physical, and time frames).
Long-term trauma can lead to symptoms of depression, anxiety, excessive fear of death, panic attacks, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and psychosis. Problems with memory and attention often occur, amnesia may develop, a tendency to self-harm, suicidal tendencies, substance abuse to avoid traumatic memories, difficulties with emotion regulation, painful memories, and nightmares.
A person who has survived torture often loses basic trust in the world, so upon returning to society, they may feel lonely and helpless.
People who communicate with those who survived captivity should know the following rules of communication.
– You should not ask about traumatic experiences simply out of curiosity. Any interest you have in a person’s story should be purely professional, not personal. An example of professional interest: a doctor needs to know about trauma, a lawyer needs to document testimony. An example of personal interest is «What was it like there?» This can lead to undesirable consequences, re-traumatization.
– Without a person's permission, you cannot touch their body, hug them, or touch their personal belongings.
– You should not abruptly change jointly determined plans without warning.
– You cannot exercise control and limit a person's autonomy.
– You cannot support a person's attempts to ignore the manifestations of physical pain that is a consequence of being in captivity. Talk about ways to solve the problem and show real benefits in the present tense: "You will get rid of the pain," "You will get back your sleep," etc.
– You can't devalue the experience of captivity, don't say: "It's okay," "Forget it," and so on.
– You can’t give unrealistic hopes or promises that are unlikely to come true: «Time will heal everything, you’ll forget» or «A psychologist will make sure you don’t remember it anymore.».
– You shouldn’t see a person only as a «victim» and feel sorry for them. If a person survived captivity, it means there was always something that helped them survive there. You should use this resource and understand human resilience.
– Don’t be overly «heroic.» It certainly takes a lot of courage and strength to endure captivity and torture. But heroism is a manifestation of encountering one’s own strength, and it happens at a certain moment. The role of «hero» can be too heavy a burden to carry every day.
A few more tips on how to communicate with a person who survived captivity:
– express respect for the experience gained in captivity;
– involve in planning activities;
– always leave the person the right to choose and give them time to make this choice;
– show empathy and not be indifferent;
– be understanding of the violation of time limits and boundaries by a person who has survived captivity, but such actions should be distinguished from deliberate manipulation;
– admit that you do not have a similar experience and cannot fully understand what the person has experienced;
– help shift the focus from the problem to its solution; pay attention to details, behavioral reactions, and clarify, ask what could make the space more comfortable;
– if a person starts a story about captivity, you should not ask provocative questions that will deepen their immersion in history. Show empathy, express your respect, be honest. You can and should talk about your feelings. If the story is too emotional, help the person return to the moment of «here and now». Motivate them to contact a psychologist;
– talk more with the person about the present, events of the recent past, about their physical condition and well-being;
– keep promises.
Those who survived captivity are people of extraordinary strength and will. Captivity and torture are factors that definitely affect the personality, and especially the trust in the world and humanity. The path of return from captivity is long: it is necessary to free not only the body, it is necessary to help the individual integrate this experience, build it into a new picture of the world, accept himself with this experience. And learn to live, not survive.