Moving to another country is a major life change. After arriving in the new country, every immigrant goes through an immigration process during which they internally process the effects caused to their life by changes in the external situation.

The effects of the change have to be dealt with even when moving between countries with similar cultures. The effects may, however, be stronger when the difference between the home country and the new country is more significant.

People deal with change in an individual manner affected by childhood experiences, age, gender, education, ethnic and religious background, culture in the home country, reasons for moving, traumatic experiences, length of period they have to wait for asylum and the related uncertainty, attitudes towards immigrants as well as the presence or lack of social support.

There are many different reasons for immigration. A refugee, for example, has to leave their home country because of war or persecution. They often have to let go of a lot very quickly and may not have time to prepare for their departure. Sometimes the escape has been prepared for a long time without being able to tell anyone. In many cases, they have not had the time or possibility to say goodbye to their loved ones. Often a refugee has experienced a lot of difficult things already in their home country. Also the journey to the new country may have been long and difficult. Many have lived in refugee camps. Refugees often have to freeze their emotions in order to cope with everything they have been through and to be able to function.

Migrants, on the other hand, have planned their departure. They usually want to improve their lives in some way. They may move to another country to study, to ensure a better future for the whole family or just to spread their wings in a new environment. Sometimes a migrant has also made the decision to leave because of their circumstances and also they may have traumatic experiences. However, they usually have had the time and opportunity to plan their departure, say goodbye to their loved ones and arrange things.

Regardless of why they left, everyone has to let go of something when they leave for a new country and everyone goes through the process of adapting to the new situation. For some, the change may be painless, inspiring and filled with positive curiosity, while for others, it may take years and be painful. The latter is often true for asylum seekers and refugees, but integrating into the new country is also a challenge for migrants. In most cases, adapting takes a lot of time and is sometimes hard.

Most of us are not prepared for how stressful settling in a new culture may be. Stress expressed as anxiety and pressure is a natural response to the change of culture and surroundings. Everything may feel strange and difficult at times. Also feelings of despair are common. Many people also feel other powerful emotions and reactions that may be confusing and scary. This is, however, a completely normal reaction to change. Even after difficult times, there’s usually a new beginning and you start to find out how to live your life in the new country.

The im­mi­gra­tion process can lead to cri­sis

People can get stuck in various phases of the immigration process. If you feel bad for a long time and don’t feel like you are moving on, seek help. Even a powerful cultural crisis will pass when dealt with actively. Seeking professional help is not shameful. It’s a good idea to seek help whenever you feel bad for a longer period of time.

Some people have experienced traumatic events. The trauma may be individual, such as a difficult childhood experience, or collective, such as persecution or war. Traumatic experiences often involve a profound feeling of helplessness, fear and horror. It may lead to a post-traumatic stress disorder the symptoms of which make the adaptation process all the more difficult. In such cases, the traumatic event comes back to mind over and over again in an uncontrolled manner as images or thoughts, for example, that cause anxiety.

A stimulus reminiscent of the traumatic event may trigger a strong feeling of reliving the situation. People try to avoid situations where this might happen. This may make it difficult to manage everyday matters and to be with other people. In this case, a person is constantly on guard and fearful and avoids close relationships with anyone. Irritation and expressions of anger are common. This may lead to isolation and loneliness or conflicts within the family.

Trauma often goes hand in hand with sleeping disorders, memory disorders and attention problems. They have an impact on the ability to operate and learn and make it more difficult to learn the language, for example, or work. A person may feel that their opportunities to influence the future have narrowed. They are easily offended and interpret messages from the environment in a way that is not beneficial to themselves. They may find it extremely difficult to trust others. Even when we can’t change what has happened, we can learn to live with trauma.