Important Mental Health Tips

Dealing With Depression and Homesickness: Advice From an International College Athlete

By Lilia Farach|Updated on June 27, 2023 (originally published on June 9, 2022)

Homesickness is defined as a feeling of longing for one's home while being away from it for a period of time. This is not as uncommon as one might think–homesickness can happen to anyone in any situation. This is a very common thing that international student-athletes go through as well. In addition, depression can also be involved while being homesick.

First and foremost, one needs to identify the problem first before looking for solutions. It is always good to get a different perspective from someone outside the situation. This will help you with a clear point of view on the problem or issue at hand. In addition, this will also help you see the problem objectively. Having depression or being homesick is not a negative thing a student-athlete should be scared of or ashamed of. This is a new challenge to overcome and learn from it so never stay silent.

This is an experience I have had personally. I was born and raised in Honduras up to the age of 12 and then moved countries to Panama City, Panama and finished off my high school years. Of course this wasn't easy at first because my dad is still living in Honduras so I stopped seeing him as often as I did. However, it was manageable because I was living with all of my siblings and my mom. When the time came to move countries for college, alone, it all hit me. And as an international student, home is not only a drive away, home is a take-three-planes-and-make-it-there-in-12-hours sort of thing.

Recognizing the problem

I wasn't aware that I was depressed and homesick until I had a call with my sister. That call made me realize that what I was going through was depression and a lot of homesickness. I was the first one of my siblings to leave home at the age of 18, they left at 20 and 21 which allowed them to mature a little more before leaving home. All the emotions I was going through, all the thoughts going through my head were all new and I was overwhelmed. After realizing what was going on, I thought to myself, “I need to figure out a solution now.”

Working on myself

After the realization that I was going through depression and homesickness, I took some time to focus on myself. I took a very needed two-week break from social media because I would see people with their families and traveling which is something I wanted to do at the time but was unable to. I started eating my three meals a day and stayed focused on my school work and athletic life. I stopped going out for a while and taking nights to myself as well. All of these helped me calm down and think on what solutions would work best for me personally. So this is where I give you my tips and tricks to handling depression and homesickness as an international student-athlete.

What helped me

I got into the habit of calling my sister every day or at least texting her. This made me feel like I was closer to home. I would try and call my mom every Friday and Saturday but with the different time-zones it was hard as she works full-time.

Focused on what I could control and let go of anything that wasn't in my hands. This helped me prioritize what I needed to work on and what not. It also gave me some sense of peace as I realized that not everything was my fault or responsibility.

I relied a lot on my teammates. They became my second family while away from my own and really helped me see everything in colors again.

I would ask my mom for pictures or videos of my dog back home. He is my best bud and has been with me since the age of 9 so leaving him was also a big thing to me.

I just had fun. Sometimes you don't have to be working on being better every day. Sometimes you just gotta enjoy the moment!

Never be afraid to reach out for help or feel like you are annoying people just because you need them.

If you need immediate help, call any of the following numbers from the Recovery Village, your school counselors, or any of the resources down below: