Every change in our lives has its own impact. Moving to another country brings a lot of changes. The situation is even harder if someone was forced to move (like escaping from war). 

Being in a foreign country, one can face difficulties with language, unknown laws and rules, different lifestyles, customs, and traditions, and lack of knowledge of how things are done here.

Migrants can be exposed to various stress factors that influence their mental well-being.

Psychological and social distress among refugees manifests in a wide range of signs, including:

• emotional (sadness, grief, fear, frustration, anxiety, anger and despair)
• cognitive (loss of control, helplessness, worry, ruminations, boredom, memory difficulties and hopelessness)
• physical (fatigue, sleeping, loss of appetite, medically unexplained, physical complaints)
• behavioural and social (withdrawal, aggression, interpersonal difficulties, bed wetting, substance use, sleep disturbance in children)

In cases of sexual violence, psychological distress may cause a long-standing inability to adapt.

If a refugee came to another country without family, feelings about family members’ well-being might be frustrating. When someone comes to a country alone, they may be overwhelmed with feeling lonely, not having friends, family, or even native language speakers. 

If you feel like this and wish to get some relief, PBIC Listening Service is here to help you.Our Listening Service Specialists deal with a lot of immigrants and refugees, some of them are immigrants themselves, so you can expect a respectful and supportive attitude.

Written by Tetiana, PBIC’s Listening Specialist