Forty-year-old Ghada* from Aleppo faced devastating loss after loss that led to her becoming acutely depressed. Just weeks after her home was destroyed in a shell attack, her father and brother were killed when a shell hit their building. Soon after, her son was kidnapped and she was forced to sell her destroyed home and land to secure his release.
Ghada began displaying symptoms of extreme fear whenever she heard sounds of shelling, even those in the distance. She became extremely anxious whenever the phone rang, believing it was bad news about her kidnapped son. She also began hearing voices threatening to kill her children. Despite these worsening symptoms, Ghada never considered seeking help, believing her condition was stress-related and would eventually go away. Forced to live in poverty and in an insecure area, her main concerns were the safety of her children and finding food for them to eat.
While Ghada was visiting an nongovernmental organization clinic seeking follow-up care for a physical injury, a WHO-trained health worker recognized that she was displaying signs of severe depression. He spoke to her at length and convinced her to begin treatment. Soon after, her kidnapped son was released and Ghada was able to find a job to support her family. She continues to receive treatment for her depression, and doctors say her symptoms are decreasing.
[For more of this story go to http://www.emro.who.int/syr/sy...amp;utm_medium=email]
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