Homesick in Canada
Moving to a faraway, foreign country can be very exciting and interesting, even refreshing. Things are sometimes done differently there, and that can be quite a challenge. For many people, especially young people, this can be quite an incentive to emigrate.
For some, however, leaving home and hearth has a different outcome. They might be overcome by homesickness, which can be very strange when everything else is going well. For example, you might have found a great job, made new friends, chosen a nice place to live, and enjoy plenty of freedoms like traveling, shopping, going out, or whatever. Even then, even if everything seems positive, homesickness can still occur.
Homesickness is perhaps best described as the painful longing for a former home and the security of familiar familiarities. Some people experience it even on vacation, others only after living elsewhere for a while. And let's be perfectly clear, many don't experience it at all and never get homesick.
In one way or another, everyone is familiar with the concept of homesickness, which is in itself a healthy reaction to the loss of certain familiar facets of life. People learn to adapt and make the best of a new situation, an attitude that's perfectly fine.
Only when homesickness appears to combine with depressive or compulsive thoughts can a real problem arise. In more severe cases, it's conceivable that a person isolates themselves from others and has little interest in topics they're not directly involved in. In this way, homesickness can indeed be considered a condition for which treatment is also possible.
Scientists have gotten a bit better at classifying homesickness. If it's too severe, there are actually various ways to try and address it. But why and when homesickness can arise remains less clear. It can occur at any age and in people of all social classes.
It's now known that those who have experienced shorter periods of time away from home are generally less likely to experience homesickness. Of course, personality traits also play a role. Adventurers are likely to experience less homesickness than those who strive for stability.
Homesickness and loneliness are sometimes related in that you're naturally more likely to long for an old situation if the new one triggers a lot of feelings of loneliness. Especially when you encounter a lot of setbacks, homesickness can flare up more quickly. This isn't the same for everyone either. For many people, adversity is a reason to face things more vigorously; for others, it can be a matter of withdrawing.
Those returning as remigrants can also experience a reverse kind of homesickness. This is, of course, especially true for those who are reluctant to return, for example, after an employment contract in a place they find appealing. The effect of the "return shock" then also creates a kind of homesickness for the place they came from.
Coping with homesickness can be a whole different story. Some believe that simply doing something enjoyable is a step in the right direction. Or talking about homesickness with someone they know, or perhaps with a professional counselor. Even a short visit to your previous living situation can be healing.
A final point is that homesickness often goes away on its own. However, for some, it takes an excruciatingly long time. What works for one person isn't always the solution for another. But a solution is almost always available.