Hello Everyone,
I hope this week has treated you well.
In my field of work, I am fortunate to meet new people daily, Guyanese and others.
I recently met a 22-year-old American female that moved to Guyana a month ago and will be here for the next year. She is here representing Mercy Volunteer Corporation- a Catholic based organization- to help out in the field of mental and physical health.
In order to relocate here, she had to agree to dedicated service, growing her faith and living simply. However, there is nothing simple about a life change like that.
I had a long chat with her which made me think of how relocation can both positively and negatively affect one’s mental and even physical health. That’s exactly what I’m going to talk about today.
At one point or the other, so many of us have had to relocate, or may have to.
This can be either to to different regions/ villages throughout Guyana or outside of Guyana completely. If you have done so already, can you think about how this affected you? If you’re about to, let’s talk about what to generally expect.
Firstly, why might people move/ relocate?
There are many reasons why people move or relocate such as new job/ school opportunities or promotions, to be closer to family, to get away from family, to get married, to obtain better health care or just an overall better lifestyle.
When you think about events that can cause high stress and anxiety, changing location and job/schools are high on that list, especially since more often than not, these tend to happen at the same time. I remember when I moved to England to further my studies, I had to learn everything about my new surroundings while focusing on school. It was very difficult and I’m sure would be for many. Of course, the neighbourhood itself can also be responsible for specific effects. For example, studies show that youth who live in high poverty areas exhibit higher levels of poor mental health.
Now, let us talk about culture shock for a second. I’m sure most of us have heard this term before. Culture shock happens when one moves from a familiar environment to one that is unfamiliar. People believe that it occurs mostly when ‘first world-ers’ move to developing countries such as Guyana but that isn’t the case. I experienced culture shock when living abroad in two different first world continents. This was due to factors such as transportation, customer service as well as the overall diversity of individuals.
So, what are the effects of culture shock? It can cause numerous physical and emotional symptoms. It has been known to cause head and stomach aches, low self-esteem and concentration, high stress and anxiety levels, irritability, isolation, depression and suicidal thoughts. On the other hand, culture shock also has many positives such as education of a new culture and way of life. It is also an opportunity to learn valuable skills, new languages, adaptation and resilience.

Since some of us are experiencing it now and some of us may have to in the future, what can make relocation easier? Of course, detailed planning always helps. This helps both on a domestic and international scale.
First and foremost, cater for moving expenses – know that it will be costly. Prepare for a new cost of living. This automatically increases if you are moving from rural to urban areas or if you are moving internationally. Also, consider the exchange rate.

Know your new surroundings- nothing creates unnecessary stress and anxiety than constantly getting lost. Know how the transportation system works. Find out where the nearest health care facilities are. Educate yourself with the new culture and language if there is one. Completely immerse yourself in it.

Pay attention to how conservative the society is, and what role women play in it – for example, you and your partner may be unhappy in a “traditional” society in which people in some groups are respected less than others.

If you are not moving for a job, research beforehand to know whether there are any available in your field or not. The same goes for school.

Look for events or activities going on around you – this is a great way to socialise and meet people.

Finally, know that feeling homesick is okay. It takes a while to make friends that will stick around. Accept this and actually be grateful for it.

When I asked the woman I previously mentioned about her new life in Guyana- she said it was hard being a foreigner in Guyana. She claimed it to be very hot, full of bugs and slow paced.

However, she said that the people she’s met are really friendly and helpful. That reflects greatly on us and our hospitality. I asked how she is dealing with the changes that come with the move and she said she is immersing in our culture, which has helped her to gain a better understanding of people in general as well as transform her world view as she has never been to a developing country before.

Thanking you for reading. Please keep sending any topics you’d like to talk about to caitlinvieira@gmail.com Or come in to see me at:

Georgetown Public Hospital: Psychiatric Department:
Monday- Friday – 8am- 12pm

Woodlands Hospital: Outpatient Department
Drug and Alcohol group meetings – Mondays 4:15
Good mental health group meetings- Wednesdays 4:15

Say Yes to Life and No to Drugs! Always!