In sweet sounds, Gazans find relief for the mind

GAZA－For 45 minutes, Julia Ahmed, a young Palestinian from Gaza, sits on a sofa listening to musical chants mixed with sounds of sea waves as a way of easing her mental pressure.

For many years, the 32-year-old mother suffered from various problems, which brought her to a state of depression and rejection of the reality she was living in.

"I went through a failed marriage, during which I was subjected to various types of physical and psychological violence from my ex-husband," she said, adding that she sought unsuccessfully to get divorced.

Finally, after two years, she got her wish but her family did not accept her as "a divorced woman", an identity that does not sit well with their customs and traditions.

"My world became dark without hope, optimism, or a desire to survive," she said.

Two months ago, she went to a psychologist, seeking help through therapeutic music. "When I come here, I feel completely cut off from the world," she said.

"When I hear soft music and the sound of rain, I feel as if I have traveled to Rome or Paris."

The situation is not much different for Mahmoud Ahmed, 23, who turned to music therapy after several failed attempts to get rid of the depression he had experienced for more than three years.

Because of political and economic instability in the Gaza Strip, he has not succeeded in achieving any of his dreams after graduating from university, which caused him to go into a state of depression, he said.

The two are among dozens of people receiving music therapy at the Kayan Cultural Center, which was established by psychotherapist Taghreed al-Sakka two years ago.

The center hopes to help people rid themselves of the pressure they have due to the difficult conditions.

Al-Sakka, 40, who has a doctorate in psychology, said music therapy has been around for a long time, but it is relatively new to Gazan society, based on interaction with music in order to achieve a patient's goals.

Residents of the Gaza Strip live in complex political and economic conditions, which have negatively affected the psychological state of the majority in the local population.

Yasser Abu Jamea, director of the Gaza Community Mental Health Program, said more than a third of residents in the Gaza Strip need psychological intervention, most of them women and children.

Israel has imposed a tight siege on Gaza since Hamas took control of it by force in 2007.

Xinhua