My mother has been very lonely since my father went abroad.

After a spouse goes abroad for a long time, loneliness is a common psychological adaptation problem, which is mainly related to factors such as lack of emotional support, changes in life style, and social role pressure.

1. Lack of emotional support

Long-term separation leads to the interruption of daily emotional communication channels, and partners are unable to obtain immediate responses and physical contact. The human need for intimacy has a biological basis, and reduced secretion of neurotransmitters such as oxytocin may aggravate the experience of loneliness. It is recommended to maintain a fixed frequency of contact through video calls, or develop topics of common interest to maintain emotional connection.

2. Changes in life style

After the original family division of labor system is broken, the left-behind party needs to bear the burden of childcare, housework and other responsibilities alone. Role pressure and disordered life rhythm can easily lead to feelings of helplessness. Establishing a regular schedule and reasonably allocating tasks can help re-establish a sense of control. If necessary, you can seek help from relatives and friends to handle daily tasks.

3. Social role pressure

Traditional concepts have implicit prejudice against single-parent families, and some left-behind mothers will suffer from anxiety due to social evaluation. Participating in parent-child community activities can gain group recognition, and professional psychological counseling can alleviate the stigma. Moderate social exposure training can gradually improve interpersonal avoidance tendencies.

4. Unfinished emotional backlog

Conflicts that are not properly handled before separation may turn into ongoing psychological burdens. It is recommended to express emotions through letters and other methods, and use psychological intervention methods such as the empty chair technique to release suppressed emotions when necessary. Art therapy has a unique effect on non-verbal emotional release.

5. Future Uncertainty

Ambiguous reunion time can easily trigger chronic stress reactions. Jointly developing a phased family plan and identifying key time points can effectively reduce anxiety. Mindfulness meditation training increases acceptance of the present moment.

It is recommended to maintain 15-30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every day to promote endorphin secretion, and appropriately increase tryptophan-rich foods such as bananas, oats, etc. Participate in group activities more than twice a week to expand your social circle. If necessary, you can use traditional Chinese medicine to soothe the liver and relieve depression for a short period of time. If sleep disturbance or loss of interest persists for more than two weeks, you need to seek professional psychological evaluation. Separated families can regularly hold cloud family day activities to maintain family cohesion through virtual coexistence spaces.