'I wondered if I would be a coward or not': five Ukrainian men on how war has changed them

The article features two soldiers, Alex Tomkin and Alexey Nayyem, who have been involved in the war in Ukraine. They share their experiences of being soldiers and how it has affected their lives, relationships, and perspectives on women.

Alex Tomkin, a 35-year-old video producer and DJ, was drafted into the army and sent to the front lines. He describes the experience as "brutal" and notes that his body and mind were in survival mode during his time there. However, he says that being away from women helped him clear his head and focus on what's truly important.

Tomkin talks about how he values women more after being apart from them for a long time. He remembers his first time off-duty in the city and notes that all the girls looked beautiful to him, but there was an "invisible ice" between him and the women around him because they couldn't understand what state he was in.

Alexey Nayyem, on the other hand, is co-founder of a legal aid center for wounded soldiers. He talks about how being wounded in June 2022 affected his life, including seeing racist trolling about him on social media. However, he notes that this made him realize it was all Russian bots and helped him see that the war has united Ukrainians more than anything else.

Nayyem discusses how relationships suffer because soldiers need to be free to be good warriors. He says that Ukrainian women are understanding but notes that communication is a hard thing for veterans to find, especially when it comes to finding psychologists who can help them deal with their trauma.

Both Tomkin and Nayyem emphasize the importance of support systems for soldiers, including mental health resources and relationships with loved ones.
 
These soldiers share some heavy stuff about being in the trenches and how it changed them πŸ€•. It's crazy to think that going through something so traumatic would make you see women in a different light, like Tomkin did after coming back πŸ™. But at the same time, I can imagine how hard it must be for them to adjust to civilian life, especially when it comes to relationships and finding people who get it πŸ’”. They need our support, not just from family and friends, but also from mental health resources that can help them deal with their trauma 🌟. It's really sad that Nayyem had to go through racist trolling on social media, but it's awesome that he was able to turn it into a lesson about unity among Ukrainians πŸ’–.
 
πŸ€• I feel so bad for these two guys, they've been through way too much πŸ˜”. Being a soldier is one thing, but being away from women for that long must be super tough πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ. Tomkin's story about not being able to connect with girls after coming back is really sad πŸ’”. And Nayyem's experience with racist trolls online? That's just awful 😑.

I think what I find most heartbreaking is how the war has affected their relationships and lives πŸ’”. It's like, they're trying to be strong for each other and for themselves, but it's taking a toll on their mental health 🀯. They need so much support and understanding from society and loved ones 🀝. We should all be cheering them on and advocating for better support systems for our soldiers πŸ’ͺ.
 
πŸ€• Just read about these two guys, I'm getting chills thinking about what they went through... 2 dudes, Alex Tomkin & Alexey Nayyem, soldiers in Ukraine, sharing their experiences & it's all so heavy πŸ˜”. Tomkin says being away from women helped him focus on what's real, but also notes how everything looks different to him now... eerie πŸ’€. Meanwhile, Nayyem was targeted by racist trolls online because he got wounded, which is just sick 🀒. Both of them talk about the struggles they faced with relationships & finding help for PTSD... it's like the war has left emotional scars that won't heal easily πŸ˜”. We really need to do more to support these soldiers & their loved ones, mental health resources are lacking, man πŸ’”
 
can't believe how much these two dudes have been through & yet they're still putting on a brave face 🀣. i mean, it's no surprise that being away from women would make them appreciate them more, but alexey nayyem's story is just wild - seeing racist trolling about him online because of his injury and then finding out it was all russian bots? πŸš«πŸ’” what a wild ride.

anyway, i'm kinda glad they're talking about mental health resources & stuff. we need more people sharing their stories about trauma & PTSD. it's not easy to deal with, but at least now these guys are speaking up and maybe inspiring others to do the same πŸ’ͺπŸ½πŸ’•
 
omg I just had the craziest thought 🀯 I was watching a video of that famous dog that plays piano and it got me thinking about how awesome dogs are πŸΆπŸ’• I mean what's not to love? They're always happy, always loyal... I wish humans could be more like them πŸ˜‚ anyway back to Alexey Nayyem - did you know that there's a new coffee shop in town that serves the best matcha lattes?! πŸŽ‰πŸ‘
 
I'm just so done with how these interviews always go 🀯. It's like they're trying to fit every single human emotion into a neat little package that's relatable to everyone else. Newsflash: being a soldier is not something you can just "get over" or "find inspiration in". The things Alexey Nayyem talked about with the racist trolling... yeah, that's still happening and it's messed up 🚫. Can't we focus on the actual struggles of soldiers rather than just their relationships? And what's up with these interviews always feeling like they're trying to humanize war? Like, you can't just reduce the entire experience of fighting in a war into "brutal" and "trauma". It feels so superficial πŸ’”.
 
I'm still in shock after hearing these two guys share their stories... πŸ˜• It's crazy how war changes you, right? I mean, Alexey getting trolled online because he got wounded is just wild 🀯 Can't imagine what it must be like to deal with that kind of negativity while you're already struggling. And at the same time, seeing how he took it as an opportunity to see beyond the bots and find unity in Ukraine... that's super inspiring πŸ’•

And Alex Tomkin's perspective on women is so interesting πŸ€” I mean, being away from them for a bit actually made him appreciate them more? That makes sense, I guess. It's like when you take a break from social media, and then come back to it, you see how weird everyone's life is... πŸ˜‚

Anyway, what struck me the most was both of their emphasis on support systems... mental health resources and relationships with loved ones 🀝 That's something we should all be talking about more, if you ask me πŸ‘
 
I think its really cool how these guys are sharing their experiences after being through so much... 🀝🌟 I mean, Alexey getting hit by Russian bots on social media could be super dark, but he saw it as a reminder that the war has brought Ukrainians together instead of tearing them apart. And then there's Tomkin, who says he values women more now than ever - isn't that awesome? πŸ’– It just goes to show how we can grow and learn from these crazy experiences... I wish more people could talk about their feelings like this, it really helps us understand what its like for our soldiers on the front lines ❀️
 
πŸ€” It's crazy to think about how war changes you on a fundamental level. I mean, Alexey's story about seeing racist trolling after being wounded is wild, but at least he was able to see through it and connect with others in Ukraine. But for Tomkin, being away from women for so long made him realize what's truly important - it's actually kinda cool that his perspective shifted like that. πŸ’‘ What's crazy is how much our experiences shape who we are after going through trauma like this... it makes me wonder if the military should prioritize mental health resources and relationship support over everything else 🀝
 
πŸ€πŸ˜” Being a soldier can be really tough on people's minds and bodies πŸ€•πŸ’₯ it's crazy how war can change you in an instant πŸ’₯😲 Alexey's story about seeing racist trolling is wild πŸš«πŸ’” but he handled it like a pro πŸ‘ mental health resources are super important for soldiers to deal with their trauma πŸ’ͺ🧠 and relationships can be hard to find after being away from loved ones for so long β€οΈπŸ’•
 
I'm really moved by these two guys sharing their experiences, you feel? It's crazy how war changes you, both physically and mentally. I think it's so cool that they're speaking out about how it's affected them and their perspectives on life πŸ™Œ. Tomkin's story is like, whoa - being away from women for that long must've been tough, but it sounds like it brought him back to reality. And Nayyem's experience with the trolling... that's just awful πŸ˜”. But at the same time, I love how he found a way to turn it into something positive and focus on what truly matters - Ukrainian unity πŸ’•. We need more conversations like this, where people share their honest experiences and help us understand each other better πŸ€—.
 
OMG, I'm seriously shook by what these guys are saying πŸ€―πŸ’”... being away from women for so long and then realizing how much they appreciate them is insane! And can you even imagine dealing with racist trolling on social media while you're already struggling with PTSD? That's like a whole different level of messed up 😩. I think it's so important for soldiers to have support systems in place, especially when it comes to mental health resources... I mean, who better to help them deal with trauma than someone who's been through it too?! πŸ€πŸ’•
 
🀯 just read about these two guys and I'm blown away by how much war affects your life πŸ’”. did u know that 75% of Ukraine's males aged 18-45 are serving in the military πŸ“Š? and for Alex Tomkin, being apart from women was literally a lifesaver... talk about mental health benefits 🌱. btw, have u seen these charts on PTSD rates among soldiers? 1 in 4 veterans experience symptoms like flashbacks & nightmares 😩. it's no wonder they need support systems to cope with trauma πŸ’ͺ. also, interesting fact: Ukraine has one of the highest rates of women in combat roles compared to other countries 🀝🌟
 
omg this war stuff has messed up so many people's lives its crazy how a war can take away ur sense of touch and make u see ur life thru ur own perspective i mean tomkin talks about being able to clear his head but like what if that means he never gets that same connection with women again? its like u get to find out the other side of love & loss & trauma but at what cost tho
 
🀯 I cant even imagine being in their shoes πŸ™, you feel? Being away from women for that long must be super tough on a guy, but also kinda liberating? Like, he got to focus on what's real important, you know? And now he appreciates the ladies so much more πŸ’β€β™‚οΈ... and I'm totally here for it! πŸ€— Meanwhile, Alexey is all about unity and love, even after being trolled by those nasty bots πŸš«πŸ’”. He's like, "Hey, we're Ukrainians, we got this!" πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦ And I am HERE. FOR. IT πŸ’–
 
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