Existential Aspects of the Adaptation Process of the Individual in the Post-Traumatic Context of War Experience: Freedom, Meaningful Life Orientations and Identity

The article analyzes the existential dimensions of an individual’s adaptation to post-traumatic experience in war, focusing on three key categories: freedom, meaning, and identity. In the contemporary Ukrainian reality of a full-scale war, trauma becomes not only psychological, but also ontological and political. The article examines how war, destroying the usual structure of existence, creates a space for rethinking life’s meanings and the birth of a new identity. Through the prism of existential philosophy, it is shown that war, as the ultimate event, causes a fundamental existential breakdown, which at the same time opens the possibility of realizing inner freedom. The author considers narrative identity as a way of integrating trauma into life experience and transforming the status of «victim» into the status of a conscious subject capable of action. Attention is paid to the role of collective memory, memorial practices, and cultural representation of trauma in the process of reconstructing both personal and national identity.Emphasis is placed on the political recognition of trauma as a factor of adaptation. Confirmation of suffering by society, the state and the international community play a crucial role in the process of returning to active life. The article also highlights practical approaches to support – philosophical, political, institutional and cultural – that should create a holistic model of post-traumatic recovery.It is concluded that adaptation in war is not interpreted as a purely medical or psychological problem, but as a multidimensional process of personal, social and political transformation that should be based on the values of freedom, dignity and meaning. It is an existential challenge in which freedom, meaning, and identity are key categories. Philosophy helps individuals find their inner support, while political science helps them see their place in society. The harmony between the personal and political dimensions of adaptation contributes to the restoration of a holistic personality and the development of a society without trauma.