ضيق
dayq
Provenance: Illustrative wording created by the editorial team; not participant testimony.
شراکت دار کا مطلب
A tightness, a constriction — the chest closes, the throat narrows, the world feels too small for you. ضيق is how I describe when I cannot breathe properly from the inside.
ذہنی صحت سے تعلق
Describes psychological and physical distress. The word's root is related to narrowness, constriction — as opposed to open space (فسحة، رحابة). The metaphor of distress as spatial constriction is deeply embedded in Arabic and Islamic thought.
Safe messaging for media
- Use the expression in its stated context; do not present it as a diagnosis or universal translation.
- Avoid describing a person by a stigmatizing term unless the person self-identifies that way and the wording is necessary.
- For suicide-related coverage, avoid method detail, sensational headlines, and single-cause explanations; include help-seeking information.
- Link to this entry’s evidence limits and distinguish contributor wording from analyst interpretation.
پس منظر
ضيق النفس (dayq al-nafs) — tightness of the self/soul — is a traditional Arabic concept referring to anxiety, depression, and sorrow. The connection between breath, soul (nafs), and mental states is central to Arabic understandings of wellbeing.
استعمال کا تناظر
Used across Arab-speaking countries. More acceptable to express in family contexts than clinical terms. Often associated with grief, financial stress, relational conflict, and spiritual crisis.
مختلف تناظر سے نقطہ ہائے نظر
نقطہ ہائے نظر ساتھ ساتھ دکھائے جاتے ہیں۔ مماثلت کا مطلب برابری نہیں۔ کوئی ایک نقطہ نظر پوری ثقافت کی نمائندگی نہیں کرتا۔
گھٹن (ghutan — suffocation, stuffiness) is similar — a feeling of being unable to breathe emotionally.
In Moroccan Arabic, we say ضيق واسع (dayq and its opposite) — the contrast captures the entire emotional spectrum.