Can We Stay Mentally Healthy While Ignoring a Genocide?

Emanuela Brun
May 21
2 min read

The genocide in Gaza is a devastating human tragedy, but for many living far away, it can feel emotionally overwhelming or distant.

Our minds often struggle with how to hold this reality, leading to emotional avoidance and silence.

But what impact does this have on our mental health?

1. Emotional Avoidance 🫠

Our brain shields us from unbearable pain by shutting down feelings or distracting ourselves. This reduces immediate stress but creates inner conflict between what we know and what we feel safe facing, increasing anxiety.

2. Moral Injury 🩸

Moral injury is the distress caused when our silence or inaction clashes with our core values, leading to guilt, shame, and psychological pain—even for distant witnesses of genocide.

3. Empathy Fatigue & Neural Numbing 🪞

Constant exposure to trauma overwhelms brain regions linked to empathy, causing emotional numbing. This protects us short-term but can lead to detachment and helplessness over time.

4. Burnout & Anxiety from Silence 😰

Avoidance may ease pain briefly, but unresolved conflict activates stress systems, causing burnout, anxiety, and a fractured sense of self.

5. Compassionate Engagement 🫂

Small acts of connection and care activate brain pathways that build resilience. Staying present (without overwhelm) supports both mental health and moral courage.

Here are a few small but powerful ways to stay human and support Gaza:

🔸 Speak up: Share reliable information, break the silence, even in small circles.

🔸 Donate: Support trusted organizations offering aid:

• Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP): map.org.uk

• Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF): pcrf.net

• UNRWA: unrwa.org

🔸 Join protests or vigils: Even your presence matters. Look for local events in your community.

🔸 Hold space: Talk about it with your community. Don’t let this become invisible.

🔸 Take care of your mind: Process your feelings.

Talk, grieve, reflect. Staying emotionally present is a form of resistance too.

This isn’t just about history, it’s about humanity.

And one day, when we look back, we’ll want to be able to say: