Dealing with trauma and depression

Life in Lebanon means regularly dealing with the unexpected, and often the unpleasant. From the civil war in 1975 and moving to the consistent bouts of armed conflict that strike the country every now and then, the Lebanese have become accustomed to living with the unacceptable. Less dramatic, though also stress-inducing, are how simple acts such as trying to turn on the lights, taking a shower or even driving your car to work can have uncertain outcomes in this country. With all this stress surrounding us on a daily basis, one has to wonder: are the Lebanese still sane? What do the experts, and the numbers, have to say about the mental health of the Lebanese population? Between 2002 and 2003, the Institute for Development, Research, Advocacy and Applied Care (IDRAAC) embarked on the first nationwide survey on mental disorders in Lebanon (the Lebanese Evaluation of the Burden of Ailments