Cross Cultural & Integration Difficulties

-by Dr Marilia Libera
Also: Understanding Cross Cultural Relationships

Every year many people from all over the world for many different reasons migrate to Australia. It is not unusual for people who have moved from a different culture to experience a variety of situations, thoughts and feelings that are unfamiliar, that cause stress and even anxiety and/or depression.  

For example, it is not usual for Australians to talk about personal things or disclose personal information to people they do not know well. I have found myself, many times, telling a personal story only to realise that the level of disclosure was not reciprocated. This was just a cultural difference between South America and Australia. And there are many examples of these types of experiences, which vary depending on one's cultural background.

These types of experiences can lead people to feeling homesick, they may find it difficult to communicate with other people at a personal level, or they might feel overwhelmed and worried about fitting in. Some people describe missing the feeling of belonging, of being part of a community or missing the support of their social network back home. At the same time, it is not uncommon for people to hide their problems from their loved ones back home in an attempt to spare them the worry.  These can make the person fell very isolated with a sense that they don’t have anywhere to turn for help. Some may even turn to drug and alcohol thinking this will help coping with such feelings.

Stress and anxiety symptoms involve changes in the body, mind and feelings.  For example, you may experience increased heart rate, shallow/fast breathing and dizziness, while your mind is locked into negative thoughts about the future and you experience a feeling of impending doom.  A person with depression, in the other hand, is more likely to have reduced interest in things, find it difficult to find pleasure on anything and feel sad most of the time. They may lack physical energy and experience sleep disturbances (too much or too little).

Although we all experience these feelings from time to time, they become a problem when they are intense and last for a long period of time. When this happens, it is helpful to talk to a psychologist as there are specific psychological treatments that have been proven to be very effective in helping people overcome/manage anxiety and depression.

Other strategies for coping with the difficulties of living in a different country

• Maintaining regular contact with your family and friends back in your home country can be a powerful tool to manage feelings of loneliness. Technologies such as Skype or even facebook  are cheap and easy to use.
• Eating foods from you country of origin is likely to help you to feel more “at home” or listening to your favorite music from your home country.
• Compared to South Americans, Australians may be perceived as less open and affectionate. It is important to learn what is culturally appropriate in your new country. For example, most Australians do not greet each other with kisses like Brazilians.
• You may like to join an association for people from your country. For example, ABRASSO is a non-profit organisation for South Americans that provides a range of information and support to their members (www.abrasso.org.au).
   

 Dr Marilia Libera, Clinical Psychologist

Dr Libera was born in Brazil, and migrated to Australia 10 years ago. She has experienced firsthand the struggles and complexities of migrating to a different country, and understands the difficulties individuals and families may go through while living in Australia. In addition, she has also lived in Japan for 7 years, giving her an intimate understanding of Japanese and Asian cultures, and the unique challenges they face migrating to Australia.

Marilia’s therapeutic style is open and sensitive to individual differences. As a clinical psychologist with extensive experience in the assessment and treatment of a variety of psychological issues, she is passionate about tailoring therapy for each individual rather than using a “one size fits all” approach. While supporting her clients, she works on developing and teaching strategies that they can transfer from the therapy room to “real life”...[READ MORE about Marilia]

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