Protests for and against legal reform have a negative impact on people suffering from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder). This is according to a survey conducted by NATAL among 1,223 men and women aged 17-88, in order to examine the implications of the protests on the mental adjustment of citizens.
"Those who have experienced trauma are coping even more at this time," Photo: AP
Of the respondents, 9% indicated that they had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, some as a result of military service or reserve duty.
Over 18 per cent of the respondents reported that they had been exposed to a moderate or high degree of violent incident as a result of the protests, and 52 per cent reported that they had witnessed violent incidents at a moderate or high level. In addition, 42% reported feeling threatened to a moderate or high degree.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Feel More Intense Distress
It also emerges that those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder who have been exposed to a high degree to the various protests feel greater and more intense distress.
Post-traumatic stress disorder participants reported that since the beginning of the protests in Israel, they feel less belonging to the state, lower daily functioning, higher levels of depression and anxiety, and an increase in the frequency of negative thoughts and feelings.
Demonstration for recognition of PTSD victims. The subjects have no connection to the report, photo: Liron Moldovan
According to Efrat Shafrut, CEO of NATAL, "We found that people coping with PTSD suffer more from anxiety and depression in light of the situation.
Also, their sense of belonging to the country is diminishing during this period. We are all dealing with a difficult time, but the people who have already experienced the trauma, who fought or who have been in terror incidents, are coping even more at this time."
"When they threw things at the car, it was a trigger."
Lior Shlepan (30), who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after his military service in combat engineering, tells how one day he drove into a demonstration during which participants tried to block the road.
"People got out of their cars and were shouting. I stayed in the car, closed and helpless. When they threw things at the cars, it was a trigger."
Natal
"As far as I'm concerned, I've been back in Hebron," he continued. "I went into self-defense. I went outside, grabbed an iron from the floor and went to them. I saw black. Within a second, I came to my senses, threw away the iron, ran to the car and went home. I cried the whole way, feeling deeply ashamed of what I had almost done."
Aviv Avraham, 42, also suffers from PTSD: "Every incident in which I am blocked from crossing brings me back to the battlefield, and to the feeling that I have to operate an event," he said. " This period, and the dialogue between people, greatly undermines my mental stability, increases my anxiety and increases my trauma."
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