For many immigrants, mental health is neglected while they navigate their new life | CBC News

Halfway to Home: Immigration Stories, a five-part series, began April 24 on Windsor Morning. Tune in on our CBC Listen app or live at 97.5 FM. We’ll also be at the Budimir branch of the Windsor Public Library on Saturday for the event Creating Space. 

When he moved to Windsor from the U.K. with his family in December 2019, Salman Gul was looking forward to starting fresh with a new job and new home. 

The father of five was waiting for his work permit when COVID-19 hit three months later. Pandemic lockdowns forced him to wait 15 more months.

“You can imagine I was worried about the bills and my future in Canada,” said Gul, a truck driver who owned his own transportation logistics company back in England.

LISTEN | Hear the fifth episode, which is focused on mental health

“It started to trigger elements of mental health issues,” he said. “Things like mild depression and anxiety that would hit the peak as a result of a panic attack.”

In episode five of CBC Windsor’s Halfway to Home, we spoke with Gul and Riham Al-Saadi, a social worker and University of Windsor instructor who was a teen in 2001 when she and her family immigrated from Saudi Arabia.

Halfway to Home highlights the experiences of immigrants in Windsor-Essex. About one in five people living in the region arrived as newcomers, which means Windsor-Essex has the 11th largest immigrant population in the country, according to Statistics Canada.

During the conversation at Windsor Public Library’s John Muir Branch, Al-Saadi and Gul talked about their personal struggles and the effect immigration had on their mental health.

‘It was scary and fearful for me’

Al-Saadi, who is Palestinian, immigrated to Canada months before the twin tower attacks in New York. At 14, she felt like she and her family were under suspicion and scrutiny as Arabs living in a post-9/11 Canada.

“I had to combat multiple stereotypes and images,” she recalled. “It was scary and fearful for me.”

But there was little time to dwell on mental health, recalled Al-Saadi. Her entire family worked hard to find stability here, especially after her father’s gas station business suffered during the 2008 recession. 

“As a newcomer, there’s always that survivalist mindset approach … that you need to fulfil a basic duty, of supporting not only yourself but your family as well,” said Al-Saadi.

‘Is my community going to know?’ 

Some immigrants avoid talking about their early days here — memories are too painful, Al-Saadi said. 

Some feel there’s a stigma around seeking mental health support. They worry: “Is my community going to know?” 

But Al-Saadi and Gul said they wanted to share their settlement stories — even the difficult ones — to show other immigrants going through hard times that there are people who relate; that it isn’t necessary to suffer in silence. 

“Whatever I faced, I don’t want someone else to face,” said Al-Saadi, who said her own experience inspired her to become a social worker. “What I’m really thankful for is that in the midst of all these multiple storms, there is an opportunity.

“I feel very fortunate and grateful, but I also feel like I’m contributing enough too.”

WATCH | Aman Ghawanmeh, Salman Gul, and Riham Al-Saadi in conversation about mental health:

Prioritizing mental health while balancing the survivalist mindset as a newcomer

Salman Gul and Riham Al-Saadi detail their experiences and advice to newcomers having mental health challenges.

CLICK HERE | to watch the full 43-minute conversation on YouTube 

Connecting with others is a ‘beautiful thing’

“Often, immigrants are seeking a safety and stability that they felt was lacking in their home country,” said Razaan Barquni, a Windsor-based mental health counsellor who specializes in working with immigrants and refugees.

“They may struggle in navigating their mental well-being and the healing process because that was never a priority back when they were in a more dire situation.”

Barquni, who’s worked with Nisa Homes Windsor and Windsor-Essex Community Health Centre-Leamington, recalled the “look of relief” immigrants had after speaking to a counsellor.

“It was a beautiful thing to witness,” said Barquni. “The very raw, very universal human experience of wishing to connect, and feel understood, no matter what walk of life you are from.” 

Accessing mental health services helps

Shortly before his family decided to immigrate to Canada, Gul’s father died in the U.K. He was overwhelmed with grief and his hometown never seemed the same. He thought the move would help. He didn’t expect to have so much time to think. 

“When you’re not working and you’re in limbo … if you allow your thoughts to get the better of you, you will implode,” Gul said.  “And that was happening.”

He finally sought mental health services. They helped. 

Then his work permit arrived and he could get back to driving a truck again. And that helped too. 

“What I’ve learned from the [immigration] experience … is that everything is a process,” he said. “As soon as you embrace the change within you, the better you’re going to be.”