Dealing with depression while studying abroad

When you first arrive somewhere new, everything is exactly that – new. It’s exciting to experience things for the time, and it’s easy to thrive on that excitement, at least in the beginning. But for most people, there comes an inevitable crash because you miss your family and friends or because you missed something important at home. Anything can trigger it. This sensation is most commonly known as culture shock, and it can certainly resemble a temporary depression .Culture shock is normal – and expected – and we’re here to reassure you that we know exactly how you feel, and that “this too shall pass.”

University can be difficult. For international students, the extra obstacles that come with adjusting to life in a new country, often in a new language, can heighten feelings of homesickness, sadness or depression.

Moving away from home and starting university is challenging. While lots of students thrive in the new environment and cope well throughout their time at college, others can feel overwhelmed by the experience. Neither reaction is wrong.

Symptoms of Depression

While symptoms associated with depression can be easy to list, they can be difficult to distinguish from everyday ups and downs that you may experience, especially while adjusting to a completely new environment like studying abroad in a foreign country. Some of the more recognizable symptoms are:

·         Inability to Get out of Bed/Motivate Yourself

·         Lack of or Too Much of an Appetite

·         Unavoidable Negative Thoughts

·         Erratic Mood Swings

·         Lack of Focus or Pervasive Forgetfulness

·         Difficulty Sleeping or Sleeping Too Much

·         Irritability

·         Physical Pain

·         Lack of Interest in Things You Once Loved

·         Difficulty in Upholding Self Care

While these symptoms are highly recognizable by an outside party or even by yourself, in the thick of the moment, you may doubt yourself.

Taking The First Steps

Often, going to university is the first time many young people leave home and spend large amounts of time away from their family. They have to become totally self-sufficient when it comes to eating well and getting to class on time, while at the same time managing a large workload, making new friends and carving out a life in a new city, or maybe even a new country.

Feeling down, anxious, homesick, depressed or stressed might be your body’s reaction to these new pressures. It might be loss of pleasure, control, mastery or even a loss of engagement with day-to-day life. If you don’t feel engaged with your new class or community, or if you feel like you’re not as good at your work in university as you were in school, it might start to affect you.

Being in touch with your [own] friends, making new friends at university, getting involved and connecting with people” is a really important part of dealing with depression at university.

Advice From Older Students

But for international students, the feeling of isolation may be even more acute. Relocating to a brand new country, trying to adjust to a different culture and perhaps studying in another language presents a different set of challenges.

My advice is to participate in as many activities as you can. At first, you might be scared or not able to express yourself well, but as time goes by and you continue to do similar things, you’ll get more confident and you’ll meet a lot of people from different places.( study abroad consultant in Mumbai )

Speak Up, Talk To Friends, Feel Better

The NUS survey also found that 54% of the students who admitted to having a mental health issue did not seek any help or support from their university. Universities across the world have readily available counseling services for all students. There’s a systemic need to understand the different international cultures in order to offer the best support.

Whatever background you come from, you shouldn’t underestimate the power of talking to friends and peers. As Amber points out, “everyone’s got their own issues. Students no longer hang out in large groups like they might have at school; people are just strangers to each other at first.” So you have to create the opportunities to form bonds with your classmates, with people from different countries, to make new friends.

How To Cope And Be Happy

Throughout your degree or study abroad experience, you’ll go through lots of emotions – good and bad. Remember that it’s normal to get homesick, and that you won’t be the only one to feel down or depressed every now and again.

You need to be kind to yourself when you arrive. Give yourself the chance to make new friends and allow some time to settle into your new life. Be brave! Take yourself out of your comfort zone by organising social events with classmates, meeting as many people as possible, and getting involved with lots of extracurricular activities on and off campus. And if you ever feel down, talk to your peers or a counselor.

You can take advice from the best study abroad consultant in mumbai who will assist you in admission and visa processes. Next time you’re in a packed lecture hall, look around you. As many as three-quarters of your classmates will have felt down at some point in the last year .