The mental challenges of moving back home from abroad

At the same time, more people are returning to their homeland, and although their difficulties often remain hidden, they are not negligible at all. Most are prepared to face challenges during their time abroad, but they do not really expect to encounter similar problems upon returning. After returning home, symptoms such as general anxiety, stress, or even depression can appear. Additionally, other signs might include frustration, anger, confusion, alienation, and the feeling of losing one's familiar environment. Common issues for those experiencing reverse cultural shock can also include fear of rejection, feelings of loneliness and restlessness, a sense of helplessness, and loss of trust.

The difficulties of reintegration are influenced not only by the length of time spent abroad or cultural differences, but also by internal factors such as the acceptance of support, maintaining contact with family and friends, and the individual's attachment style.

Social support plays a key role in how a returning person experiences the reintegration process and the degree of cultural shock they experience. Support from family members and close friends is particularly important. Social support means that the individual feels that the people around them care, interact, and support them in an inspiring way. Such help can contribute to reducing the stress and tension caused by moving back home. Interestingly, however, returning home is not always a traumatic experience; research conducted among returning university students shows that relationships with parents and siblings often improve after returning home. In the reintegration process, it is particularly important that returnees spend as much time with their family members as possible in the first three months after moving back. This can help make the reintegration smoother and help returnees find their place in the home culture again. Spending time together like this can strengthen family bonds and help returnees find their place in the home community again, establishing a stable foundation for reintegration.

However, when it comes to friendships, mixed results have been observed: with some friends, the relationship becomes closer, while with others, it becomes looser. This likely depends on how similarly they have developed in areas of interest compared to the returning person. Overall, it can be said that the more problems someone has in their relationships, the harder it will be to reintegrate. Nonetheless, both the time spent abroad and the post-return reintegration provide unique opportunities for personal growth, shaping of personality, and if we handle the situation well, broadening and deepening our social relationships.