Getting a divorce is never easy no matter where you are. However, it can be especially troubling for those who are living abroad. Your mental health can be affected without you even realizing it. Whether you are living overseas because of your job, a military position, pleasure, or because you got married to someone who lives overseas, you will undoubtedly feel alone and isolated if you are not close to your family and friends you grew up with.
Too Far Away
Even with all of the technology making it easy to see and talk to your loved ones thousands of miles away, nothing can take the place of that nice warm hug or heartfelt touch. It is great to be able to reach out to your family and friends from across the globe through instant messaging, texting, Facetime, or with a phone call, but it is just not the same as being there. So, what can you do to hold it all together when you live thousands of miles from everyone and everything you ever knew?
Protect Yourself and Your Children
The first thing you need to do if you are going through a divorce is to get legal help to protect yourself and your children if you have any. Familiarize yourself with the legal issues wherever you are to determine your rights as far as legal representation. Believe it or not, some countries require you to be a citizen for a certain amount of time before you can file for a divorce or custody. Before you do anything else, make sure you are up to date on the laws that you need to know to protect yourself and your children.
Take a Breath
Once you are covered legally, you will at least be able to feel better about that part of the situation. This actually goes a long way in protecting your mental health. But before you breathe that sigh of relief, you ought to get in your best frame of mind. Especially if you have children living with you that you are responsible for. Their feelings and mental health also have to be taken care of. However, before you can take care of anyone else, you have to take care of yourself.
Talk to a Professional
Talk to a professional about what is going on. This does not mean that you need to make an appointment with a therapist or psychiatrist right away. In fact, there are some countries that feel differently about mental health than we do in Europe. Some countries may not even have mental health care at all. However, if you are an expat living in Europe, you are in the perfect spot because the countries in Europe are some of the top mental health care countries in the world.
BetterHelp Can Help You
If you need help and want to talk to someone now, contact www.betterhelp.com. They have over 4,000 mental health care professionals who are able to talk to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You will not need an appointment. In fact, you can do it right from your home.
This was a guest post.
Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health- related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.
