Waiting for explosions. Why Ukrainians get used to anxiety and what to do about it

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A year and a half after the start of a full-scale invasion, people are under chronic stress. It may even appear waiting for an air alert signal and alarming when there is none. And after the sounds of explosions – relief. After mass shootings, many jokes appear on social networks. People mock that they go out to the balcony to watch how “Shaheed” is shot down or that they do not go to sleep without recording several explosions. “UP.Zhyttia” asked neurobiologist Victoria Kravchenko and psychologists Nataliya Glynyanyuk, Alyona Vasylyga, and Roman Zinenko why such reaction mechanisms are (un)safe for the psyche. How the body reacts to anxiety The reaction to an alarm signal can differ among people, since the work of the brain and nervous system, based on previous experience, also affect the response, says neurobiologist Victoria Kravchenko. She explains that the first time the alarm signal itself causes the body’s stress reaction and activates the sympatho-adrenal system. “This system consists of two quick response components: activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the release of adrenaline from the adrenal glands. This mechanism very quickly mobilizes resources and allows you to move to a safe place – that is, escape,” says Viktoria Kravchenko. In addition to adrenaline, norepinephrine also enters the blood, which is also a hormone of the adrenal glands, thanks to which a surge of energy is felt, the heart rate and breathing rate increase, and the consumption of oxygen by the muscles improves. “In a state of stress, brain activity increases – a person remembers information better and looks for a “way out” of a stressful situation. But he may not be able to remember some events or facts if they are not related to rescue,” the specialist adds. Photo: HayDmitriy/Depositphotos Along with “turning on” the stress system, the body releases endorphins – substances that reduce pain and improve mood. “During the escape from danger, a person can be injured. Therefore, endorphins, which are also called endogenous opiates, are released in advance. The brain does this just in case, for example, if a person cuts his leg during the rescue. Fortunately, usually anesthesia is not necessary, because people they feel euphoric against the background of endorphins,” she continues. In the same way, a person reacts to the sound of an explosion. Before the war, the human brain associated a sharp sound with some action. For example, fireworks, work in a quarry, the sound of a tire burst or thunder. “The brain is always looking for a cause-and-effect relationship. Now, when an explosion usually sounds after an alarm signal, the brain associates it with a consequence (that is, a hit). A person develops a classical conditioned reflex that warns of danger. At the same time, the heart begins to pound , hair stands on end, pupils dilate, sweating increases, etc.,” says the neurobiologist. Read also: Death does not respond with pain, and stories do not evoke empathy? Why compassion is becoming less and less Why people get used to anxiety Victoria Kravchenko explains that since not every anxiety involves an explosion, the body’s “quick response” system begins to weaken. “People get used to it because there is plasticity in the brain and its reactions. The neural connections of the brain are restructured, so the alarm signal no longer causes the release of “stressful” amounts of adrenaline and norepinephrine,” she says. Photo: FellowNeko/Depositphotos Psychologist Nataliya Glynyanyuk notes that adaptation is a feature of our body, including the psyche. The body may react less physiologically, but the psyche may still “worry”. “If we do not react to the alarm, it does not mean that there is no tension inside. Of course, we understand that the alarm signal is given because of danger, and probably something is flying. But the emotions that should direct us to the action of struggle or in the current (fight or flight), need a resource that we no longer have,” explains the psychologist. Psychologist Alyona Vasylyga adds that there is another reason why people ignore the alarm: they do not see explosions with their own eyes every time. “You should not indulge in the illusion of control, as if monitoring publics on Telegram can guarantee that your district or city will be spared,” she says. And why do we sometimes wait for anxiety if there is none As the neuroscientist explained, during the war people are under chronic stress, because there is a chaotically recurring event – explosions. “We don’t know when the signal will come, and our nervous system in chronic stress is constantly waiting. This is exhausting both morally and physiologically: the body allocates strength and energy for hypervigilance. Therefore, when the alarm finally sounds, the brain receives a forecast that it was forming all the time. Dopamine is released: the brain is pleased that it predicted a certain event. Therefore, it is possible to turn off vigilance for a while and exhale,” says Victoria. Photo: AndrewLozovyi/Depositphotos Psychologist Roman Zinenko adds that people often experience anxiety before the unknown. For example, not knowing exactly where the rocket will hit. “When a projectile is flying, no one knows its course. It can be compared to students during an exam, who just have to draw a ticket. They concentrate all the possibilities in order to at least calculate what might happen. When the sound of the explosion is immediately heard, this is information that came from somewhere else, but I’m alive. That’s why a person relaxes, because the danger has passed for a certain time,” he says. But the specialist emphasizes that the body in constant tension not only exhausts the resources it has, but also cannot rest and recover. “If we are constantly worried and on guard, the nervous system will malfunction,” the psychologist notes. Read also: How to afford a vacation during the war: the advice of psychotherapist Alyona Vasylyga emphasizes that the skill of relaxation is vital for Ukrainians. “Each of us should have a comfort zone. For example, there is a real case of a fighter who says that his dugout on the mountain near Bakhmut is a comfort zone where he can relax and even meditate,” she says. What are protective reactions to danger? Nataliya reminds us that people differ in their defenses against danger. The first format: jokes that devalue the danger – jokes, memes, laughter for no reason. The second: searching for a logical explanation why you should not be afraid. The psychologist said that she heard how it was proved with almost mathematical formulas that the neighboring house is doomed, and the other one will stand intact. “Defenses are used by people who seek to feel in control of the situation and to feel that they are greater than the danger. Like, I’m joking and I can logically explain. When any self-defense mechanism is activated (such as loud statements that it’s not scary) you can see that there is tension, that person tries to take control of the situation,” she says. Photo: konstantynov/Depositphotos The neurobiologist notes that explosions and anxiety also have an emotional value. Especially in people who are under chronic stress, adrenaline addiction is formed. “Emotions are very dependent on the basic level of activation. And it is related to the level of adrenaline in the blood. When the body’s resources are “activated” – the heart beats faster, the pupils are dilated, the brain works in emergency mode, then all the events around seem brighter” , she says. This explains why, even in spite of the anxiety and shelling, many Ukrainians feel that they are living life to the fullest, as if finally truly. Viktoriya Andreeva, UP.Zhyttia Read also: “Amputation is definitely not a sentence.” The story of a Ukrainian veteran who completed a marathon on a prosthesis

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