By Passant Hisham
KUWAIT: When the word "war” is mentioned, one often conjures up images of dark, stagnant pools of blood, lifeless bodies scattered about, fiery explosions, billowing smoke and an overwhelming sense of terror. It’s only natural to assume that those who endure war not only suffer physical harm but are also plagued by mental health issues. However, Dr Talal Alali, an assistant professor at Kuwait University’s psychology department, suggests that this isn’t always the case.
In an interview with Kuwait Times, Alali acknowledged that wars undeniably elevate the risk of various negative psychological disorders, including chronic depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress. Nevertheless, most individuals living in war-torn areas are not diagnosed with these conditions.
Alali delved deeper into this subject during a discussion at Kuwait University, where he explored the psychological causes and effects of warfare. Surprisingly, after extensive research and a PhD journey, he discovered that a significant number of people living in war zones can adapt to their circumstances. This adaptation, referred to as "pathological adaptation,” involves the normalization of violence, aggression and abuse after prolonged exposure to these elements.
During the session, Alali said, "The majority of people continue to lead their daily lives as if nothing is amiss.” He illustrates how people manage to work, teach and even engage in creative activities like making music during times of conflict. This pathological adaptation, he explains, acts as a self-defense mechanism, and paradoxically, contributes to the perpetuation of wars.
As time passes, nations embroiled in these conflicts may no longer recognize the extent of their problem, hindering efforts to find a solution. "If you don’t realize that you’re in a problem, how are you going to solve it?” he asked rhetorically. Alali emphasizes that this high exposure to violence can transform innocent victims into aggressors seeking revenge in the same manner they were attacked.
In Alali’s perspective, the normalization of violence is a key factor in the continuation of wars. However, other reasons are also directly responsible for the outbreak of conflicts.
Mentally disturbed leaders
Alali points out that mentally disturbed leaders often play a pivotal role in escalating global conflicts. He cites historical figures like Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein, both of whom exhibited a range of psychological disorders, including paranoic, sadistic, antisocial and narcissistic personality disorders. These disorders led historians to characterize them as impulsive, egocentric, cold, aggressive, non-empathetic and manipulative individuals.
Dehumanization of others
One of the fundamental cognitive processes humans possess is social categorization, wherein individuals are grouped based on social characteristics such as sex, race, age and other attributes. Mentally disturbed leaders take this categorization to extremes, using it to justify their heinous acts. They often classify people into two groups: Humans and non-humans.
Alali cites Hitler’s approach to Jewish people as an example, as he dehumanized them to rationalize their mass murder. Hitler even convinced his army that exterminating Jews was their duty to protect the nation from harm. Alali explained this is why these mentally sick leaders use powerful terms such as "ethnic cleansing”, as if they are fulfilling a noble role of purifying the land by removing these non-humans from the earth.
Irrational actions
Modern society continues to grapple with the aftermath of the irrational actions of leaders like Hitler and Saddam. Alali noted contemporary events mirror these historical atrocities. For instance, everyone is witnessing now how the Zionists are repeating the same scenario with Palestinians, as they became a modern representation of Hitler.
He argued that a consequence of such irrational actions is that most casualties in modern wars are civilians, as opposed to the primarily soldier-based casualties of the past. Alali points out that children, particularly those under five years old, often bear the brunt of these conflicts. He references a study from the 1990s that indicated more than 500,000 children in this age group were killed in just one year.
According to Alali, the detrimental effects of these actions extend beyond loss of life and include a crumbling healthcare system, power shortages, damage to education, increased illiteracy and the infringement of women and children’s rights, ultimately resulting in societal decay and loss of life. In conclusion, Alali stressed that war is a complicated issue, with its impact lasting for centuries, and in many cases, never truly fading away.