"Mental Health and Study Abroad" by Naomi Curtis

One of my biggest fears going abroad was my mental health. I have struggled with depression and anxiety since high school and have been on antidepressants and going to therapy for almost 4 years. I nervously spoke with my therapist about my concerns of relapsing into old coping habits or having to be sent home early for health reasons. I had a friend attempt suicide the semester before I was supposed to leave, and I was under a lot of stress and very emotionally vulnerable. However, I still went through with my study abroad program - and I am so thankful I did. This experience pushed me out of my comfort zone, but I still had a strong enough support system, in the forms of university support and AMIDEAST, that helped me address my needs. I am so grateful for Al Akhawayn University and all of its support services. I highly encourage anyone that wants to study abroad in Morocco to do so.

As expected, the transition to Morocco and its culture was rocky the first few weeks, and I started to see the strain on my mental health. I consider myself very resilient, but when I stopped eating and struggled to get out of bed, I knew I needed to ask for help or I wouldn’t make it. Thankfully, AUI had a great support system for me on campus. I signed up for therapy and worked with a therapist I really connected with. The stress from my diagnosis, my last semester, and my current study abroad experience were finally being managed in a healthy way. Reaching out for help and taking advantage of the school’s resources improved my study abroad experience immensely. While abroad, I constantly worried about my study abroad experience not measuring up to others. I wasn’t learning enough about Morocco. I wasn’t working enough to experience the culture. I wasn’t outgoing enough and didn’t make enough friends. There was something always wrong with my experience and, rather than living and enjoying the moment, I was constantly in my head. However, when I brought these concerns to my therapist, she reminded me that everyone’s study abroad experience is uniquely theirs. I learned to live and accept the moment and myself. 

I was about to board a flight from Prague to London when I got an email from my home institution instructing me to go to the US immediately. My friend that I was traveling with and I were silent on the plane ride to London not really processing the news. All of my things were still in Morocco, but my school and my family wanted me to leave right out of London. Next thing I knew I was on a plane out of Heathrow to Tulsa. I was incredibly sad about leaving early, but I understood why it was happening. Once I was home, I was in self-isolation for two weeks. All of these circumstances really emphasized my mental health struggles, and I reached out for help again. Luckily, AUI was still offering counseling services, and I got the tools I needed to work through the isolation period and the abrupt change in plans. 

I was very lucky to attend Al Akhawayn University because of their counseling services and the flexibility of the professors. Once I asked for help and communicated, I got everything I needed to succeed, and everyone was very understanding. Granted, everyone’s study abroad experience is unique to them, but I encourage everyone, especially those with similar struggles to mine, to study abroad. Despite being sent home early (but for different reasons), I would do everything again. This experience made me a stronger person and taught me more about myself and my strength.