“God created war so that Americans would learn geography,” remarked Mark Twain, his words echoing through the depths of history.
Our nation, Kurdistan, has been built on the foundations of conflict, honed its skills in the art of warfare. Our history intertwines with the archive of war, stitching together a tapestry of economic and social paralysis. But beyond the scars engraved upon our land, a profound wound oozes in our collective consciousness. Among its consequences, the toll on mental health stands paramount. Studies reveal a surge in the prevalence of mental disorders within the general population, with women bearing the weight more heavily. Vulnerable groups, such as children, the elderly, and the disabled, suffer the lingering effects of war as well.
War has played a crucial role in the realm of psychiatry, leaving its mark through the ages. It was the haunting specter of shell shock during the world wars that paved the way for psychological interventions in the early 20th century. The disparities in the presentation of symptoms between officers and soldiers shed light on the complexities of psychiatric reactions to stress.
Stress, the enduring aftermath of trauma, serves as the primary manifestation of post-war trauma. Our nation has weathered chronic stress throughout the past century, even in times of relative peace. Yet, what is truly staggering is the transgenerational impact of war, as its scars seep into the very essence of our being.
A study conducted in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a region routinely called “the worst place in the world” to be a woman, says Darlene A. Kertes, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Florida, published in the journal Human Biology, link a mother’s stressful life experiences with epigenetic markers in key genes that regulate the body’s response to stress, in both mothers and newborns. The researchers looked at DNA methylation, an epigenetic process that makes genes more or less able to respond to biochemical signals in the body. The researchers looked at the babies’ birth weight as an indicator of children’s overall development. They found that stress-linked DNA methylation differences predicted lower birth weight. “The stress exposure affected the maternal and fetal tissues differently, which shows that the impact of stress differs depending on an individual’s life phase,” Kertes says, adding that stress experienced at very young ages affects the way the body responds to stress throughout life.
Drawing from these insights, it becomes evident that a significant portion of our behaviors, reactions, and even personalities are shaped by the wars of our ancestors. In Kurdistan, many are children of war, born from generations that have faced conflict, displacement, and trauma. Recognizing this should inspire greater empathy and understanding for those scarred by the conflicts in the region. It’s a call for compassion towards our elders, who have endured some of the harshest periods in history, and a plea for self-compassion, acknowledging the burdens of our inherited past.
