In Gaza, We Are Literally Losing Our Ability to Speak

"The streets of Gaza no longer hum with the familiar sounds of everyday life. Since October 7, 2023, they have resonated with the sounds of destruction, followed by a silence so profound it feels almost physical-an absence that suffocates words before they can even form. Trapped within Gaza's crumbling walls, we live inside a storm in which language itself has broken down. Simply put, we are losing our very ability to speak. I don't mean that metaphorically. It's all too real."

"In my own life, it feels like there is a constant fog inside me. I often know what I want to say, but the words just don't come. My thoughts get tangled, and even when I try to speak, my voice falters or dies in my throat. Sometimes my body reacts too-my chest tightens, my hands shake, or I find myself frozen, unable to move forward. It's not just about grief or fear; it's the sensation of being muted from within."

"What we face is more than a mere loss of words; it is the collapse of the symbolic system that language represents-the shared framework through which we give meaning to our emotions and experiences. This collapse deepens the silence, making communication feel not only impossible but inconceivable. The human mind, faced with relentless pain, erects invisible barricades. The struggle we face in articulating our pain is a recognized response to extreme trauma."

Streets in Gaza are emptied of everyday life, replaced by destruction and a physical silence that suffocates speech. People experience an internal fog that prevents thoughts from forming into words, accompanied by bodily reactions such as chest tightness, shaking, and freezing. Language's symbolic framework has collapsed, eroding shared meaning and making communication feel impossible. The mind erects protective barricades, producing emotional numbing or psychic blunting after prolonged exposure to violence, destruction, and loss. Emotional numbing dulls affect and undermines the ability to articulate pain, leaving individuals exhausted, isolated, and trapped within an inner silence.

Read at The Nation