7. A Stroll through the Darkness

Abstract

In this essay, the anonymous author gives their perspective on the challenges of navigating Western academia as an immigrant while having mental health condition(s). These challenges include continuous self-doubt, isolation, discrimination and the need to reinvent yourself. All this while being subjected to the rather unforgiving culture of continuous assessment in the new workplace and bearing the extra burden posed by mental illness, sometimes without seeking appropriate treatment. These challenges are mutually reinforcing: difficulties of immigrant life can cause or aggravate mental health issues, and health struggles make it more difficult to integrate and succeed in the highly competitive, precarious, and sometimes discriminatory academic environment.