What is homesickness? Most people will have felt homesick at
some time in their lives, perhaps when they were younger, and it
is easy to forget just how overwhelming it can be. Beginning
life at university naturally generates both excitement and
anxiety about the move, academic work, meeting new people. For
some, this apprehension is quickly overcome as they adapt to a
new environment; for others the transition takes longer and
sometimes emerges as homesickness where there is a preoccupation
with home-focused thoughts. There is a yearning for and grieving
over the loss of what is familiar and secure: most often it is
about the loss of people - family and friends - but it is also
about the loss of places and routines, and the realisation that
family life continues without you. Those who experience
homesickness might notice an increase in depressed feelings,
anxiety, obsessive thoughts and minor physical ailments.
Homesickness can often be distinguished from depression in this
way - in depression sufferers find