Last night, I woke up shaking from a nightmare. I dreamt that my hands had been chopped off,” said Mohammad Faisal, who is among the students evacuated from Sumy city of war-hit Ukraine. Many who returned recently are having psychological breakdowns. Experts said the youngsters witnessed war for the first time in their life, which, accompanied by the fear of an uncertain future, is causing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
 
Upon returning to their homes, most medical students have begun counselling. mid-day spoke to many students who are struggling to cope with the trauma caused by the war they just witnessed. Many of them are having nightmares that keep them awake at night.  “The effect of the war on our mental health is detrimental, and I can feel that. I wake from nightmares and my family says my eyes stay wide open for a few minutes. I still feel I am stuck in the war zone,” said Faisal, who was stuck with hundreds of medical students in the hostel in Sumy.

Mohammad Mehtab Raza with his uncle and a cousin