Migrant anxiety: tips and recommendations

Immigrating to another country is one of the experiences capable of changing life in a more radical way, especially if the destination is a region where a culture very different from ours predominates.

It's not just about ending up in a place where the supportiveness of friends and family has been drastically reduced; In addition, in many cases you have to adapt to another way of living, or even seeing life. Realizing that for years we have been taking many things for granted can shake up our world and put us in a situation where we feel vulnerable.

That is why in psychology many times talk about the anxiety of the emigrant, a phenomenon capable of emotionally wearing down those who decide to continue with their lives in places far removed from almost everything they know and perceive as familiar. In this article we will see what it consists of.

• Related article: "What is anxiety: how to recognize it and what to do"

What is migrant anxiety?

Anxiety is both a psychological and physiological phenomenon based on the activation of the nervous system.

and the entry into a state of alert, which takes place regularly in almost all people; for example, when speaking in front of a large audience, feeling that an exam is approaching, feeling that we are in danger or that we are exposing ourselves to some risk, etc.

This implies that it is not something negative in itself, since it helps us adjust to the challenges that life presents us and be able to give them the importance they deserve.

However, Sometimes anxiety makes us have such a hard time and for so long that it becomes a problem. This is linked to the fact that some people develop problem behaviors to try to deal with the discomfort caused by the anxious state, which reinforces the problem; For example, the appearance of addictions appears many times as a method to feel instant relief and stop suffering from something that produces anxiety or stress, but in turn, in the medium and long term, it feeds the constant appearance of that state of alertness and irritability.

The fact of emigrating can expose the people who do it to a high level of anxiety, because practically overnight, when they settle in a new country, they have many fronts to attend to.

Perhaps they do not master the language well and without it they can barely move around the city; Or maybe they can't even find a contracted rental; or they may even have to fear for their integrity due to racist attacks, in some cases. And, of course, the feeling of loneliness also abounds in a society that is partly seen as something strange, alien to oneself.

This combination of various "fires to put out" creates an emergency situation in which the simple task of deciding which problem to address first already seems daunting.

• You may be interested in: "Adjustment Disorder: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment"

To do?

These are some tips to manage the situation in the best possible way. You can apply them to your case if you have emigrated and you believe that this has led you to develop a persistently high level of anxiety.

1. set your priorities

First of all, spend some time simply putting your ideas in order about what to do to adapt to the way of life you want in this new country, without fear of believing that this makes you waste time.

This will help you avoid making blunders and improve your chances of prospering both materially and psychologically in this new place. In case you have many doubts about which path to follow, establish two or three possible courses of action in parallel, so that even if one fails, you have the other ready.

2. Structure your day to day

Once the previous step is done, it is time to optimize the management of your time; this will prevent you from feeling like you are losing control over your life. You should make a schedule and physically post it in a place that you will see frequently, so that you will memorize it and commit to it.

3. Accept a certain level of discomfort

Don't feel bad about feeling stress or anxiety, it's not a failure. Don't try to "erase" that feeling from your consciousness either., because that will give you more strength. Just assume that you can't control everything that goes through your head, and instead of trying hard not to think about it, orient yourself to focus your attention on aspects of reality that you find stimulating or nice.

4. In case of major problems, go to the psychologist

If you think that nothing works, do not forget that no matter how much you have moved to live in another country, the Internet continues to exist; in the network it is possible to have services of psychologists, since many of us offer online sessions by video call.

Are you looking for psychological support?

If you are interested in having professional support to deal with migration anxiety or any other form of psychological discomfort, please contact me. I am a psychologist specialized in the cognitive-behavioral intervention model, one of the most effective for treating emotional disturbances, and I attend both in person in Madrid and through online sessions for video call. To see my contact details or more information about my work, go to this page.

Bibliographic references:

• Achotegui, J. (2002). Depression in immigrants a cross-cultural perspective. Barcelona: May.
• Achotegui, J. (2014). The Ulysses Syndrome: The immigrant Syndrome with Chronic and Multiple Stress. Vertex, 16(60): pp. 105 - 113.
• Otte, C. (2011). Cognitive behavioral therapy in anxiety disorders: current state of the evidence. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience. 13 (4): 413–21.
• Sylvers, P.; Lilienfeld, S.O.; LaPrairie, J.L. (2011). Differences between trait fear and trait anxiety: implications for psychopathology. Clinical Psychology Review. 31(1): p. 122 - 137.