Everyone that I am close to in Santiago thought I had gone crazy in December 2009 when I decided to leave DR rather quickly. I made the decision on a Friday. By Monday all of my stuff was sold and Thursday I was outta there. We would've left on Monday but my son got a stomach virus and was in HOMS for 3 days.
I contributed my leaving with depression, I always had horrible 1st trimester pregnancies, filled with sickness and depression. I do not know how my ex-husband dealt with it. But seeing as the depression continued for 3 more months after arriving back in the US, and was then followed by the remorse of having left Santiago....whenever anyone asked me why I left, I told them that I got a bad case of depression.
The sickness from the pregnancy was getting better but I was in a constant state of negativity. And then physical signs came. It seemed dark all of the time. I used to love the fact that in DR it was sunny as early as 6am, but I did not see that anymore. The Dominicans that I cared for seemed to get on my last nerve and couldn't do anything right. Food that I had forgotten began to be what I wanted most, "Can't I just get a f*cking Chick-Fil-A sandwich for God's sake!", to my housekeeper, who was nothing but una bendicion for me heard me say on more than one occasion "Can't you cook ANYTHING else!?!" Everything seemed to be bad, I just wanted out. Everything I loved about DR became what I despised.
Upon telling this to a friend recently, she says that she thinks that I had culture shock. I googled it and sure enough it seems that it could be true. What I do not understand is the timeline. Usually the stage of culture shock that she thinks that I was in happens right after the "honeymoon" stage, which usually last at the most 6 months. I had been in DR 18 months. Everything had been fine until then. This stage if culture shock is classified by feelings of anxiety, irritability, frustration, anger, negativity, and a sense of crisis. This was exactly how I was feeling, but why so long after? Maybe it was brought on by the pregnancy? Maybe it was not culture shock at all but true depression? But upon reading about culture shock, I can definitely relate.
Now I have regretted my decision for over a year now,pining away for my Santiago. Unable to explain the exact cause of my rash decision. Wondering if it was truly a depressive episodeor truly culture shock. And being extremely nervous about whether it would happen again when I return if that is the case. Can that horrible phase of culture shock come after so many months? Your thoughts please and any personal stories of culture shock if you have any
SHALENA
.
I contributed my leaving with depression, I always had horrible 1st trimester pregnancies, filled with sickness and depression. I do not know how my ex-husband dealt with it. But seeing as the depression continued for 3 more months after arriving back in the US, and was then followed by the remorse of having left Santiago....whenever anyone asked me why I left, I told them that I got a bad case of depression.
The sickness from the pregnancy was getting better but I was in a constant state of negativity. And then physical signs came. It seemed dark all of the time. I used to love the fact that in DR it was sunny as early as 6am, but I did not see that anymore. The Dominicans that I cared for seemed to get on my last nerve and couldn't do anything right. Food that I had forgotten began to be what I wanted most, "Can't I just get a f*cking Chick-Fil-A sandwich for God's sake!", to my housekeeper, who was nothing but una bendicion for me heard me say on more than one occasion "Can't you cook ANYTHING else!?!" Everything seemed to be bad, I just wanted out. Everything I loved about DR became what I despised.
Upon telling this to a friend recently, she says that she thinks that I had culture shock. I googled it and sure enough it seems that it could be true. What I do not understand is the timeline. Usually the stage of culture shock that she thinks that I was in happens right after the "honeymoon" stage, which usually last at the most 6 months. I had been in DR 18 months. Everything had been fine until then. This stage if culture shock is classified by feelings of anxiety, irritability, frustration, anger, negativity, and a sense of crisis. This was exactly how I was feeling, but why so long after? Maybe it was brought on by the pregnancy? Maybe it was not culture shock at all but true depression? But upon reading about culture shock, I can definitely relate.
Now I have regretted my decision for over a year now,pining away for my Santiago. Unable to explain the exact cause of my rash decision. Wondering if it was truly a depressive episodeor truly culture shock. And being extremely nervous about whether it would happen again when I return if that is the case. Can that horrible phase of culture shock come after so many months? Your thoughts please and any personal stories of culture shock if you have any
SHALENA
.