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Help Friends and Family Support You
Online Resources | Print Resources
Just as humanitarian workers encounter stress when arriving at a new post in the field, the transition to life "at home" can be a complex and difficult process. Returning field staff face a variety of stressors, such as anxiety over leaving behind friends and relations in the field, or feelings of alienation and reverse culture shock. As the end of your assignment draws near, it is worth considering these issues as well as the emotional support system available to you back in your home community.
Upon your return from the field, friends, family, and others can play a key role in helping you make the transition. In some cases, they will intuitively know how to help—some may even have made similar returns themselves in the past, offering them critical insight. In other cases, however, they will need some guidance in terms of how to support you appropriately. This is particularly true in the event that you have experienced a traumatic critical incident or generalized stress. Those who know you best won't necessarily be able to relate to such an experience, and it can be difficult for them to know how best to approach you about it.
It is worth noting that you should also stay in touch with the organization with which you worked or volunteered, as it may be able to provide you with additional resources. Depending on the circumstances of your return, there may be different types of support (peer listening or professional counseling, for example) for which your friends and family are entirely unprepared. The following resources can help orient both you and your family and friends in these situations.
Online Resources
Advice for Parents, Frequently Asked Questions, William Hoffa
Though this article is geared toward parents of study abroad students, you will find that your family and friends may share some of the same concerns about your travels. This information might be helpful for family members concerned for your safety.
Print Resources
The Art of Coming Home, Craig Storti
This book offers a full commentary on a variety of aspects of re-entry. Storti describes the stages of re-entry, and looks at the experience from the point of view of a returning employee, returning spouses and children, and family members who welcome you home.
All photos © Karl Grobl
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