Loss of identity: depression triggers among internationals in Catalonia

Depression doesn’t discriminate and can affect anyone and at any time, although some are more susceptible to it than others. In Catalonia, more than 700,000 people had a moderate or severe depression diagnosis in 2023. 

The mental illness can be defined in a number of ways, but according to Leigh Matthews, the founder and director of the clinic Therapy in Barcelona, it can be described as a “debilitating feeling of sadness, numbness, and hopelessness” that lasts for at least two weeks, often accompanied by a sense of “guilt or loss of meaning.”  

According to the Catalan Ministry of Health, other symptoms can include loss of appetite, insomnia, social withdrawal, fatigue, and in severe cases, thoughts of death and suicide attempts. 

Grieving loss of identity 

“Internationals are dealing with micro and macro losses and a lot of grief that isn’t only related to the grief and loss of people they’ve loved, but of the identity of belonging,” she says.  

According to Leigh, the international community is dealing not only with “normal life stresses” such as finding work and housing, but also with the stress of living abroad in general, which she says is a “really big risk factor.”  

For many, leaving their old lives behind and going through the “incredible” cultural change of moving to a new country, can be difficult, as many feel isolated and lonely. This can occur because people don’t have the “strong support network” that they had in their home country.  

Additionally, many don’t speak the language upon arrival, and also suddenly feel like a “a foreigner” or “a stranger.” 

“There is also this gulf between the expectations they may have had for their life abroad and the way that life is, with culture shock and large cultural differences,” she explains. She adds that many feel guilty for falling into depression, because many chose to move, or seemingly have “everything they ever wanted”. 

'When will I feel at home?’ 

Leigh explains that some clients ask her when they will feel at home in their new country.  

“I think internationals have to become experts at living in ambiguity,” she says of the feeling of being an ‘in-between'er’, where people simultaneously love their new home, but also feel homesick from time to time.  

“It can be really challenging because the human brain likes certainty and categories, and life as an international does not offer that.” 

What to do if you are depressed? 

If feelings of depression persist, Leigh offers some advice, starting with “self-compassion” and accepting that you might be depressed, a step that can be hard for many “high achievers” to accept. 

Next, to seek help from a doctor who can help with medication or a referral to a therapist, or reach out to a therapist on your own if you have the resources.  

Then, she says, it’s important to “to just take it easy on yourself and know that everything feels hard.” 

She stresses the importance of also reaching out to “non-judgmental” friends or loved ones so they can help. 

How to help someone experiencing depression? 

A loved one can offer support in many ways, says Leigh, from checking in “consistently”, bringing food, helping out with light housework, or just “being there and letting them know they are loved and not a burden.” 

But it’s also important to “recharge your batteries and take care of yourself first.”

And while it may be someone’s first instinct to help a person struggling with depression by offering “fixes” or comments such as ‘You just need to get out of the house’ or ‘Cheer up, look at what you have, how can you be depressed?’ are all “very invalidating”, she says. “They only reinforce the very upsetting thoughts that someone who is living with depression is already having of being a burden or a failure.” 

Therapy in Barcelona offers psychological services to the international community in Catalonia in a variety of languages, by a group of psychologists who, according to Leigh “understand the experience of living abroad.” 

If you’re struggling with mental health issues, please reach out to your doctor or your healthcare provider, a therapist, or if you live in Catalonia, call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 061.  

Podcast 

Listen to the podcast below, featuring an interview with Leigh Matthews.