Psychological challenge of the immigrant mother.

Autora. Yaymelis Garcia Leyva. Master's Student in Clinical Social Work AGMU Tampa, Florida.

Throughout these years I have experienced different situations that have moved me to the depths of my being. And is that living a vital crisis in a country that is not yours is not easy, and even more difficult to face the separation of our children in search of providing them with a better future and perspective of life.

From the moment we become mothers or fathers, we feel that the total responsibility of caring for a defenseless and dependent human being falls on us. When we migrate and are away from family, this responsibility can be very demanding, as we feel that we are the only ones who will be there if our children need us.

Although being away is not being absent, and the longing to share a life together again, is the hope and strength that moves us to face any situation, no matter how difficult it may be, such as differences in culture, and languages, among others, but at your time the socio-emotional effects produced by the same experience and the anguish of not knowing how long the distance will last, while we deal with our own fears, fighting new challenges and difficult circumstances day by day, we experience stressful situations such as malaise, anxiety, depression, Hopelessness, sadness, feelings of loneliness or emptiness, fear, anger, worries, uncertainty about the future and about meeting the goals set, and confusion, all sustained over time, cause psychological exhaustion and other emotional disturbances.

For this reason, I offer you some recommendations that I would like to share with you and that in adverse situations can be of great help:

• Take care of yourself. To take care of others, we have to start taking care of ourselves. It is important that you can save at least sometimes a day to carry out an activity that you find pleasant and allows you to disconnect because at this moment we are responding to

thousands of responsibilities at the same time, in addition to dealing with the concerns that everyone may have.

• Try to put into words the great fear you feel and express it. Talking to a support person, even if they are far away, can help you get through this difficult time. Maintain constant communication to avoid feeling alone and without support.

• Identify people around you who could serve as support or help. If you find it difficult to think of someone, evaluate each of the spaces in which you usually operate and think of the people with whom you share there. If, in your case, you have just arrived in this new place, evaluate the possibility of contacting institutions, associations, or groups of people who are in a migratory situation similar to yours and try to contact them.

• Try to live one day at a time. There will be better days and more difficult ones. Recognize your achievements, however small they may seem to you, in moments of crisis, every achievement represents a great effort on your part. Remember that external conditions have changed and you are

doing the best you can.

• Be compassionate with yourself and adjust your expectations towards yourself, it is a period of great demand, and it is normal to feel bad. But, it is important to seek help from a professional if you think that you are not being able to manage stress or if you feel overwhelmed.

The infinite and unconditional love for my son despite the distance, perseverance, and faith has given me the strength to get ahead even in difficulties and in my weaknesses. We know that words have power, and if we use them repeatedly, our unconscious will begin to perceive them as real, so a real transformation of our being and our environment will begin. That is why, based on my experiences, in life, work, entrepreneurship, and, mainly, to help us overcome the most toxic emotions related to our migratory processes and everything that this entails, today I can tell you that our History is not only built with the difficult and painful situations that we experience, we must ask ourselves why I am still here despite this, how did I survive, what happened besides that, that I have reached this moment in my life.

References

Por Silva, Karolina. (julio 26, 2017). La psicología detrás de la emigración

Por Eibenschutz Hartman , Katalina. (diciembre, 2007). Migración y salud mental: un problema emergente de salud pública