Ulysses was the hero of the Trojan War who was the protagonist of Homer’s “Odyssey”. The 20 years that he spent away from his native Ithaca, the dangers he faced both in the war and on his return home, and the nostalgia that invaded him during all that time left their mark on his personality. This Ulysses Syndrome was not buried in Homeric times, but rather is fully current given the number of people who have to move to look for work, either within their borders, or immigrate to other countries.
Who suffers from Ulysses Syndrome?
Ulysses Syndrome is characterized by sadness, anguish, a feeling of loneliness, fear of failure and high stress that makes it difficult to adapt. It is mainly suffered by emigrants who have to leave behind their land, their family and their customs in search of a better life.
Today, this Syndrome is adding cases due to the need for geographic displacement. The crisis has caused thousands of people to leave their homes and move abroad in search of work. Although this Ulysses Syndrome can also appear in those people who move from the city and not necessarily from the country.
The Ulysses Syndrome manifests itself with symptoms such as sadness, apathy, insomnia, anxiety attacks and a series of somatizations of the emotional disorder that can cause muscle pain, headaches, chronic fatigue and, in some cases, it can lead to depression.
Causes of Ulysses Syndrome
The appearance of this Syndrome in the displaced person derives from the insecurity of a new environment, especially if we are talking about another country. The person feels out of place, without resources to deal with the situation, without support from family or friends, and sadness paralyzes him so that he cannot adapt to the place.
One of the biggest problems that the person suffering from Ulysses Syndrome has to face is the feeling of guilt. Despite having opted for emigration as a means to improve the quality of life of his family, the emigrant generally feels guilty for having abandoned his family.
Although not all people who go away from home suffer from this Ulysses Syndrome, who more or less has ever noticed the insecurity that being away from your loved ones produces, the melancholy and the feeling of loneliness. But above all, the fear of failing in a project that has taken you so far.
