Living in Afghan war zone, fleeing the country takes toll on mental health

ABCNews

By Kiara Alfonseca
Afghan refugees look back towards the direction they came from as they cross through the processing area to a waiting flight out of Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 25, 2021. (Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times via Shutterstock)

Bombings, death, and uncertainty -- life in Afghanistan has become a nightmare for many Afghans looking to escape the country they call home.

Waheed Arian, a doctor and ex-refugee from Afghanistan, was born into war in 1983. He told ABC News that he didn't know what "normal" life was as a child -- and says he became numb to the daily rockets and bombs during the Soviet-Afghan war.

When he returned to Afghanistan, the civil war broke out in the early 1990s, bringing back harsh memories of his childhood.

"I became detached from reality," said Arian, who now lives in the U.K. "I lost my appetite. I couldn't sleep well and, on reflection, they were the signs of depression."

The recent unrest back in Afghanistan has left many refugees and immigrants like Arian across the globe shaken, as they relive trauma from past violence in the country and experience renewed terror in the present.

Publish : 2021-08-30 16:09:00

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