What the Israeli hostages have had to go through is unimaginable. The trauma of that unexpected, barbaric attack by Hamas, the murder of loved ones, then being violently abducted and dragged down into tunnels deep underground in Gaza. We live in a society where we often talk about trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but it’s rarely this bad.
The Northern Irish author Brian Keenan wrote the book An Evil Cradling about his experience of being held hostage by Shi’ite militiamen in the 1980s in Beirut. He was held for over four years in filthy rooms often smaller than a bathroom.
His initial response was denial “to trivialise or to minimise the event and the consequences it may have”, but this approach was soon exhausted. The reality of his situation broke through, bringing depression and frustration.
