On World Mental Health Day… we in Beirut are not okay

While the world celebrated World Mental Health Day, we saw events of a different kind in Beirut. On October 10, 2024, Israel bombed crowded residential buildings in the center of the Lebanese capital, turning tonight into a shock party that has countless shocks, and everyone there is shocked.

Three raids of violence shook the districts of Beirut. Three Israeli raids destroyed all the misery we had accumulated, and they created a new distortion in our souls that we added to those before them.

The first sound went out. I felt like the bombing broke my back. I tried to understand what was going on among the ideas around me. I tried to keep my composure amidst the chaos that erupted. But soon the second sound arose, and then the third sound, and that was the hair that broke the camel’s back.

As I now remember what happened, and stop for a moment at everyone’s features, I see frightened faces that need a warm hug and a cup of tea, nothing more. We miss the hot tea we used to drink on our usual evenings. We miss the details of our ordinary lives.

Stay away from windows and glass, keep calm, do not leave the area, do not use the stairs, and wear medical masks to protect against the toxic gases that the bombing will spread. But no one told us how to calm our anxious souls. Human rights groups did not explain to us how to put together the pieces of our mental health that were shattered by the bombing of our safe spaces

Returning to the scene itself, my “sobriety” still amazes me. How can a person be sane while being bombarded? I was brave enough to put on my shoes, grab my bag and keys, grab my sister’s bag that she left behind as she ran away, and leave. But where? Don’t know. I don’t think what happened to me was calm. I am hard-hearted in expressing my feelings.

Some ran towards the door, others stayed where they were, and some fell crying. Some of us choose self-control and try to lead others – even by shouting. Stay away from windows and glass, keep calm, do not leave the area, do not use the stairs, and wear medical masks to protect against the toxic gases that the bombing will spread. But no one told us how to calm our anxious, fearful souls. Human rights groups did not explain to us how to put together the pieces of our mental health that were shattered by the bombing of our safe spaces.

Heavy minutes passed before we calmed down a bit and tried to find a balance. The first thing I felt was pain in my back, especially the lower part of it. This pain is very easy to understand for me, because our traumas are usually stored in this area of ​​the body.

There are studies that show that psychological trauma is linked to physical tension. It is believed that there is a close connection between the mind and the body, and that repressed or unprocessed emotions can lead to muscle tension and other physical symptoms.

In the case of psychological trauma, the body can store this tension in certain places, and the back is often one of these areas. The body’s response to trauma is based on the “fight or flight” response, where hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol are released causing an increase in muscle tension and preparing the body for an emergency, which may put pressure on the back muscles.

My pain in the lumbar vertebrae completely reflects my condition. My sense of helplessness in the face of life’s problems was clear. A situation where the hardship was greater than the “difficulties” and a danger whose strength was greater than the ability to accept and deal with it.

As the Israeli war machine continues to turn our cities into fields of destruction, it is difficult to talk about mental health support. In a world that silently watches these tragedies, and sometimes even participates in fueling them, double standards are at the forefront.

My friend said to me: “You haven’t got used to the sound yet?” He meant bombastic sounds because there have been so many of them recently, so I answered him with full awareness: “It’s not normal for me to get used to this crime.”

In the shelters another story of distorted mental health. We tried to calm the displaced people by bringing them back to the “here and now.” But how do you convince a shocked person that what happened has passed, and that he survived this time? He knows, we know, and the whole world knows that this is not the first time, and it will not be the last.

Malak, a seven-year-old girl, came to us and asked, “What does phosphorus mean?” Malak, who wears a mask, like all of us, heard that there were phosphorous substances in the bombing, saw with her own eyes the shock, and smelled the smell of polluted air. What should we respond to a child who received a three-dimensional shock, which she received with all senses? Who will reassure a king?

Of course, it’s no secret that the world is watching, and even supporting, all of this. As the Israeli war machine continues to turn our cities into fields of destruction, it is difficult to talk about mental health support. In a world that silently watches these tragedies, and sometimes even participates in fueling them, double standards are at the forefront. The international community treats our traumas as collateral damage, while at the same time praising the importance of monitoring the mental health of pets, indeed Western ones.

My friend said to me: “Aren’t you used to the sound yet? .”

Long-term effects of psychological trauma

Violent attacks, such as those seen in Gaza, Beirut, the southern suburbs, and southern Lebanon, leave behind psychological scars that may not heal easily. According to Ghina Hammoud, a clinical psychologist, studies show that trauma as a result of wars leads to disorders such as chronic anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These traumas are not limited to individuals directly involved in the events, but extend to the entire community. The victims still have a sense of insecurity and fear about the future even after the end of the wars.

On World Mental Health Day, we mourn what remains. This basic human right is being violated with unchecked brutality, while the international community sings its praises. What happened in Beirut is not just a passing event, but a deep wound in the collective memory of the Lebanese capital, and will long be a witness to the international helplessness that ‘ despite the suffering of the people.

Our psychological traumas as a result of Israel’s aggression against our country have been secret and neglected, but today, more than ever, they deserve to be at the forefront of campaigns, co – speeches and lectures. Therefore, any compensation that does not include repairing our own wounds is unreliable.