When it’s Hard to Find the Words: Using Images, Symbols, and Indirect Expression
There are times when we know we want to express something, but the words just aren’t there.
We might feel pressure building inside, a sense that something needs to be said, and yet when we try to speak, the words disappear. Sometimes we default to “I don’t know,” even when part of us does know, just not in a way that’s ready for language yet. Other times it can feel foggy, or as if walls come up the moment we approach a certain topic.
I want to normalize this. Struggling to find words doesn’t mean you’re avoiding something, broken, or incapable. Often it means you’re approaching material that’s tender, complex, or still forming.
I’m sharing this both from my professional role as a licensed psychotherapist, and from my own experience in recovery. What follows isn’t therapeutic advice—it isn’t individualized—but these are some approaches that many people (myself included) have found helpful.
Letting Go of Words for a Moment
One option is to step away from language entirely and work with imagery instead.
If it feels okay, you might soften your gaze or gently lower your eyelids, maybe not closing your eyes fully, and simply notice whether an image comes up that captures what you’ve been trying to say.
For example:
- A traumatic experience might feel like a flood that washed everything away, leaving the landscape changed.
- Depression might feel like something stalking you, heavy and present, especially at night.
Images tend to carry emotion and story with them. That’s part of their power. And if you don’t “see pictures” in your mind, that’s okay. Imagery can also show up as sensations, metaphors, or felt impressions.
Stories, Symbols, and the Indirect
Another approach is to notice what kind of story resonates.
Sometimes it’s easier to say, “I feel like someone caught in a thicket,” or “I feel like I’m trying to find my way out of a forest,” than to speak directly about pain or fear. These kinds of symbolic stories are universal—that’s why art, myths, and poetry created hundreds of years ago can still feel relevant today.
Poetry in particular can be a helpful tool because it allows indirect expression. In recovery especially, there are moments when direct language is useful—and other moments when symbolism feels safer and more honest.
Writing Without Pressure
Journaling can also help, especially if you remove the pressure to make sense.
Sometimes I don’t write sentences at all. I’ll just make a list of words related to a topic. No grammar, no structure. Later, when I return to it, I can often see the shape of what wants to be expressed. The meaning emerges over time.
This process can be slow, and that’s okay. I try to respect that pace rather than force clarity too soon.
Listening to the Body
When words don’t come, the body often still has something to say.
You might notice tightness in your throat, heaviness in your chest, or tension in your shoulders. Paying attention to these sensations without trying to fix them immediately can offer information. Sometimes gentle movement, stretching, or grounding can help create a little more space for expression to emerge.
“I Don’t Know” Often Means “Not Yet”
When we’re asked hard questions, “I don’t know” is often a placeholder for:
- I need more time.
- I’m not sure how to answer that yet.
- I need to approach this from a different angle.
Learning to listen with curiosity and patience to images, sensations, symbols, and half-formed thoughts can open new pathways to understanding.
If any of this resonates and you’d like support exploring it more deeply, therapy can be a space to do that. For now, it may be enough to know that difficulty finding words is not a failure, it’s often part of the process.