Overwhelming feelings
Have you ever felt that your feelings are too much for you and everything feels too much to cope with? You may find yourself feeling tearful, or anxious for what seems like no apparent reason. You may also find it difficult to explain to others why you’re feeling the way you do, while others may have said that they can’t understand what is happening to you. This can feel incredibly frustrating and isolating.
Anxiety, Worry, Panic Attacks
Do you experience heart palpitations, sweats, tensions in your muscles and difficulty in breathing? Perhaps these come in waves and tend to happen before an event, such as parties, interviews etc. You may also find yourself thinking about all potential eventualities, caught up in a web of ‘what ifs’ and find it difficult to make decisions or find satisfying solutions to questions.
Anxiety can be debilitating for those who suffer its physiological effects. Daily tasks and activities can become difficult.
Stress and workplace issues
For some, it all started subtly- the general lack of motivation, lethargy, difficulty waking up in the morning for work, sense of dread or anxiety before work, and generally unable to ‘switch off’ from work. Subsequently, they may find themselves going to bed later and staying up more, all the while thinking about their workload, deadlines, meetings and situations at work. They may also find themselves putting off work that and can’t meet deadlines. Other aspects of life or activities that they used to find pleasurable may cease to give them satisfaction.
Trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Traumatic events can impact our lives on many levels. Some may experience vivid nightmares, difficulty sleeping, flashbacks, panic attacks and/or a general sense of numbness. Others may feel that they have ‘changed’ and may be plagued by questions such as ‘why me?’, ‘when do these feelings go away?’, ‘was it something that I’ve done?’, ‘am I safe?’. Relationships may start becoming strained and leaving the house may provoke high level of anxiety.
Low self-confidence
Do you sometimes feel that criticism seems to hit you harder than other people? Or that everyone else seems to be doing better than you? Has anyone said to you that you are too harsh on yourself? Are thoughts about yourself generally self-critical, self-blaming or self-doubting? Do you find yourself shying away from opportunities, believing that you aren’t good enough for the task. Low self-esteem can have a painful and damaging effect on your life.
Cultural and adaptation issues
Being in a new culture can generate a wide variety of reactions and feelings. Some may feel excited and enthusiastic to learn more about this novel surrounding. However, it can also become an issue when people start experiencing irreconcilable differences between their home culture and the new culture. For instance, some may find themselves uncertain how to interact with people in authority, what to expect in social situations, a sense that they’re missing out because they don’t understand colloquial language, among others.
Some may also find it difficult to be away from home, missing their friends and families intensely. This can feel isolating and may bring about low mood, tearfulness, lethargy etc.