The Ulysses Syndrome: Migratory Grief and the Long Journey Home
In an increasingly mobile world, more and more people find themselves crossing borders physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Whether driven by ambition, opportunity, or necessity, leaving one’s homeland is never just a logistical challenge. It’s a profound emotional transition that often goes unspoken. This emotional reality has a name: migratory grief. And when the stress becomes chronic and overwhelming, it can evolve into what psychologists call Ulysses Syndrome.
What Is Migratory Grief?
Migratory grief is a form of mourning. It arises when we leave behind not only places but entire ecosystems of meaning: family, friends, familiar foods, language, landscapes, and even the background noise of our culture. Unlike other types of grief, it’s not a clean break. The people and places we love still exist, but they are distant or changed, making the loss even harder to define and process.
This grief is complex because the ties aren’t fully severed. It’s recurring, as a photo, a scent, or a memory can unexpectedly bring it all back. And it’s layered, not just a single loss, but many: social identity, belonging, safety, and familiarity.
Like any grieving process, it requires adjustment. However, for many, adaptation becomes especially hard when the conditions surrounding migration are harsh or traumatic.
When Grief Turns into Ulysses Syndrome
The term Ulysses Syndrome, coined by psychiatrist Joséba Achotegui, refers to the extreme psychological distress that can arise when migration becomes an odyssey of suffering. Named after the Greek hero Ulysses (or Odysseus), who spent ten long years trying to return home after the Trojan War, this syndrome captures the emotional toll of a journey marked by isolation, danger, and loss.
In Homer’s Odyssey, Ulysses faces storms, monsters, temptations, and heartbreak. His journey home becomes symbolic not just of physical return but of rediscovery and the longing for identity and belonging.
For many migrants, this myth mirrors reality. Ulysses Syndrome tends to emerge under conditions of:
- Prolonged separation from loved ones
- Failure to find work or meet expectations
- Cultural dislocation and language barriers
- Loneliness, discrimination, or lack of legal status
These chronic stressors can lead to both physical symptoms, like headaches, insomnia, and fatigue, and emotional ones, such as anxiety, sadness, or persistent anger. And because these symptoms don’t always fit traditional diagnostic categories, they are often overlooked or misunderstood.
Homesickness in a World Without “Home”
Another layer to this grief complicates healing: the feeling of being unmoored. Some migrants find that they no longer feel at home in the country they’ve moved to, but they don’t fully belong in their homeland anymore. So, where is home?
This question doesn’t have a simple answer. But perhaps the challenge is not about returning to what was but creating something new. Home doesn’t have to be a fixed place. We build a feeling of safety, connection, and purpose through new relationships, rituals, and communities.
Reclaiming Well-Being
If any of this resonates with you—or with someone you know—it’s essential to know this: you’re not alone, and you’re not broken. The stress of migration is real, and so is the grief that comes with it. Acknowledging these feelings is the first step toward healing.
Here are a few gentle ways to begin that process:
- Talk about it. Sharing your story, even with one trusted person, can reduce isolation.
- Seek professional support. Culturally sensitive therapists and support groups can provide tools to cope.
- Reconnect with identity. Find ways to celebrate and maintain parts of your cultural heritage.
- Create new meaning. Form new traditions, build community, and allow yourself to redefine “home.”
Like Ulysses, the journey may be long and filled with trials, but it also offers moments of discovery, resilience, and eventual peace. Healing doesn’t mean forgetting where we came from; it means integrating it into who we are becoming.