Study abroad concerns are valid

I wanted to comment on the columns you had about studying abroad (“Oversea-ing Health”, Dec. 6th, and Kathleen Sideli’s response, Jan. 10.) First of all, I think Ms. Sideli is correct – IU’s existing mental health programs were not acknowledged by those researching the issue. \nHowever, the editorial also recommended that IU’s mental health programs be expanded, and that’s a good point. Hasn’t this country seen multiple crimes perpetrated by individuals whose mental breakdown was noted by others, but not adequately treated? We should not wait for crises to occur before responding. How do we help people to know they aren’t alone, so far away?\nPart of the problem is keeping study abroad programs attractive. It should sound like a positive experience. At the same time, depression, loneliness, isolation and culture shock can be very real, and overwhelming, in another country. As a foreign language teacher, I rarely tell students of the darker side of studying abroad, but they have a right to know. As the child of an alcoholic, I didn’t know I would find the drinking culture of Japan difficult to cope with. I didn’t know that traveling by taxi in Mexico can be very dangerous, among other things. \nYou can’t adequately prepare for everything you will encounter abroad. But I would’ve liked more information before departing. I definitely would have liked feeling less alone. I often encountered other Americans who coped by brushing off concerns; to them, it was evidence of being spoiled, or they’d dealt with it and didn’t want to hear about someone else’s problems. If a counselor had been available, it would have been less frightening. \nWhen I came back, my CAPPS counselor said she’d seen many students return from abroad suffering from depression. It’s great that IU currently offers crisis management to its students, but I think the Editorial Board’s support of expanding these programs is probably a good thing.