After the End of the War

Statements on the psychological consequences of persecution

"Through the persecution during the war, hard forced labor, and the terrible experiences, such as the loss of my family, I remained a nervous, sick person forever. My youth and the joy of life were destroyed, my health ruined forever." (Martin K.)

"I have no more energy for anything. I am very often depressed and start to cry. I use a lot of my energy to avoid living in a constant state of anxiety. I can't sleep properly because I'm constantly startled by images of the persecution. Suffer from severe headaches, combined with dizziness and nausea."

"Since the liberation he has slept badly; if anything during the day reminds him of the persecution, he finds it difficult to fall asleep. He still wakes up about once a week from persecution dreams. After such traumas he is so depressed the next day that he can't work. ... When he is overcome by crying, which happens frequently, he goes to the toilet. He is depressed almost all the time because he can't get what happened during the Nazi era out of his head. He is particularly depressed on Jewish holidays and days of remembrance. Then he reproaches himself for not having saved his mother. "Why did I stay alive? I'm no better than the others."

"As a result of these horrific events, the fear of death that lasted for years, the murder of his wife and three children - whereby he was an eyewitness to the murder of his twins - the murder of his parents and other family members, the severe physical and psychological deprivation, Ast. developed significant mental and psychological suffering." (The following are listed: "Sleep disturbances, progressively increasing tiredness and fatigue, memory and retentiveness, concentration disorders, periodic irritability, anxiety dreams, anxiety states that have no visible cause, jumpiness, attacks of palpitations for no reason, apathetic and depressive states.")

"The predominant complaints are persistent depression, abnormal excitability, headaches, concentration problems and constant feelings of anxiety. She is easily agitated, impatient with spouses and children... She is often plagued by painful memories. ... She is not only afraid of walking alone on the street, but also of being alone at home. 'I can't bear to be alone,' she says."