EMDR treatment posttraumatic stress disorder caused by multiple war trauma - A case report

Although the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina ended 22 years ago, it is still largely present in the souls of the largest number of citizens who stayed in this country during the war in the nineties (Hasanović 2009, Delić et al. 2014, Kravić, Pajević & Hasanović 2013). So, despite not being in situation to hear the sound of shells, sniper shootings, and not being in situation of a shortage of food, electricity and water, ordinary people experience war horror every day. Every day we witness the consequences that the war and war events lingered on the survivors. The pictures of the war keep coming back, and a contributing situation to this is a disadvantageous political, economic and social situation in the country we live in. The exact number of people affected by the war trauma is unknown. The most affected are those who were in combat, women who were raped, the ones who escaped and have been displaced, and all of them suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder. But, even those who do not suffer from it, feel that their life perspective has changed, are more inclined to depression, and taking antidepressants. People suffering from trauma aren’t the sole victims, the trauma is transmitted to the entire family and the balance of family life is disrupted. Often, children of the veterans show that they are disturbed in their mental functioning, as well as their wives, so entire families of war veterans could be present during treatment. The mode of communication within these families is often silence or disclosure of war traumas, leaving the children traumatized by both options (Hasanovi􀃼 et al. 2011, Brennen et al. 2010, Kravi􀃼 et al. 2013, Avdibegovi􀃼 & Hasanovi􀃼 2017).

Journal

English

Dženita Hrvić
Mevludin Hasanović

Hrvić , D., & Hasanović , M. (2018). EMDR treatment posttraumatic stress disorder caused by multiple war trauma - A case report. Psychiatria Danubina, 30(Supplement. 5), S315-S319. Presentation at the 1st EMDR Conference (2017, November) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sarajevo