Culture Shock

Culture shock is the trauma people experience when they move to a culture that differs markedly from their own. The shock of moving to a foreign country consists of five stages: honeymoon, crisis, adjustment, acceptance and reentry.
The first stage is fascination and happiness. You see a new culture in a romantic light. Everything seems new and interesting; you want to try new food and explore places. Person feels confident and don't see problems and difficulties. This stage usually called "honeymoon" and continues for few days or several months. Eventually you will see all of the differences between your own culture and a new culture. It means that "honeymoon" is over and you experience "crisis" stage. Problems with communication, such as language barrier, may cause person's disconnection from the surroundings. Feeling of homesick and loneliness will create depression. Moreover, in a crisis stage person may experience insomnia, weight gain, excessive drinking, drug use. Third stage calls adjustment. The culture begins to make a sense and don't feel so new. You getting involved in the community and language skills are improved. You feel that you need to solve problems from the stage two and develop your routine. In the fourth stage, the acceptance phase, you are able to participate fully and comfortably in the host country. You feel like at home, have local friends and involved in activities of the culture. The last phase is the reverse culture shock. It can be as hard as the initial adjustment to a new culture, usually after an extended stay aboard. Re-entry shock is experienced after returning to the home country and may follow same phases described