The premise of my learning journal today is from reading "Coping with Culture Shock." First of all, did anyone else notice that the list of culture shock symptoms was basically a list of depression symptoms?
Boredom, withdrawal, need for excessive amounts of sleep, compulsive eating/drinking, loss of confidence, and fear of the worst happening: manic depression disorder in the making. Even the "treatments" for culture shock follow the guidelines for preventing depression (my dad's a psychiatrist so that's where I know these things). For example, "learn to live with ambiguity", "make a conscious effort to be empathetic", and "learn how best to manage stress" most certainly are part of a treatment program. So I am not sure why there needs to be a separate title for culture shock; just label it an on-set of (mild) depression. I realize that culture shock and depression are not identical. It was just interesting to note how similar parts of them are.
Given the similarities, I am going to suggest more ways in which to prevent or alleviate culture shock besides the obvious "preparation" the article gave. First, exercise as soon as you arrive. Not only does physical activity stave off jetlag, but it allows you to get into a routine quickly as well as increase your endorphins. Second, get sun. In the article, this would fall under the "familiarizing" oneself with surroundings and basic life skills. Get outside, be adventurous, but don't forget a map. Lastly, socialize. With depression, this entails connecting with family and old friends, but in context of a field study, this means getting to know your host family.
I am planning of having a horribly rough first few weeks of my field study. But having already accepted this and implementing the above "treatments," I should be able to make it through the rough parts and then being able to enjoy the rest.
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