Ukraine refugees: a psychologist from Kyiv and a vhs employee from Hausham analyze trauma
Created: 06/16/2022, 08:00
By: Jonas Napiletzki
In the Regenbogen kindergarten in Hausham, Ukrainians meet every second Friday to help themselves.
Pavlo Lushyn and Iryna Titov lead the group.
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A psychology professor from Kyiv and a vhs employee from Hausham run a self-help group for refugees.
They categorized the trauma into six groups.
Hausham – Iryna Titov emigrated to Germany from the Ukraine 21 years ago.
Pavlo Lushyn (65), a doctor of psychology, had helped her.
The professor and chair holder at the University of Management and Psychology in Kyiv fled from the war - and stayed with Titov in Hausham (we reported).
Together, the professor and the 40-year-old vhs employee run a self-help group for Ukrainians.
"Three months have passed," Titov writes in a statement.
"Now I understand: emigrating is very different from the sudden decision to save yourself by fleeing to a foreign country." Titov says she is facing a new challenge.
"Our Ukrainian citizens have started to show qualities that I didn't expect - in a wide range." Titov, together with Lushyn, has divided this spectrum into six groups.
That helps to understand how Ukrainians are doing at the moment.
Traumatized people who have worries about the future
Titov believes that most of the arrivals had no idea that they would ever have to flee.
They would find out about events in Ukraine.
"But the most important thing for them is to survive their own trauma and return home." In addition to gratitude for the help offered, they also feel angry.
"I have to learn a new language, new laws, new rules of life, which will most likely be useless in the future," says Titov, explaining the thinking of many refugees.
Grateful waiting for a miracle
"The second group is sincerely grateful to the host country," says the 40-year-old.
But: "If a stranger knocks on the door and asks if they need something, the Ukrainian has a problem with him." This group wants to keep their social status in Ukraine and their previous way of life.
"They strive to transfer all this to Germany - and in the shortest possible time." If this doesn't work, it's painful and the reason for depression or a lasting drop in mood.
Helping such a person is difficult.
"It seems that she refuses all support and instead is waiting for a miracle."
Realists who want to adapt
The third group, according to Titov mostly “people up to the age of 40”, wants to be active in Germany.
"They agree to any job, even low-skilled." They watch less news.
"Adaptation is more urgent for them than returning to their home country." Their children would attend German schools.
"One cannot say that they are pessimists or that they do not believe in the well-being of their country." Rather, they are realists.
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Pragmatists who live from day to day
Titov assigns those who live from one day to the next to the next group.
"They are happy in practically any condition as long as there is no threat to their lives." If something is missing they will ask for it, if something is not available they will wait - and if life deteriorates from the usual quality they will "most likely move to other countries or return to Ukraine” – provided the war is over.
Homeland friends who want to go back
"There are Ukrainians who are particularly concerned about returning to their homeland," says Titov - referring to the fifth group she observed in the self-help group with Lushyn.
Living abroad is not her choice.
Their experiences of forced migration without speaking foreign languages would confirm their position.
The only concern during the temporary stay: to meet the obligations towards the German state.
"In this case, the task of a helper is the simplest," says Titov.
"I help fulfill commitments."
Ukrainians who combine many characteristics
In the last group, Titov summarizes those who combine many characteristics.
They would have experienced rejection, but would begin to see a future and do self-help.
"They support and help where they can."
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