When the Suitcase Is Packed but the Heart Is Heavy

On a cold morning in Toronto, Kwame stood at a bus stop wearing a thick coat that could not warm the ache inside his chest. He had left Accra three years earlier with a suitcase full of dreams and a promise to his family that life would be better.
By most measures, he had succeeded. He had a job, legal papers, and a roof over his head. Yet each morning felt heavier than the last.
Kwame’s story is not unique. From Ghana to Germany, from Nigeria to the United States, millions migrate in search of opportunity. What is rarely discussed is the emotional cost of starting over. Loneliness, cultural shock, unspoken grief, and the pressure to appear successful all combine into a silent mental burden.
Kwame worked long shifts at a warehouse. At night, he scrolled through photos of family gatherings back home. He sent money regularly, even when it meant skipping meals. He could not admit to anyone that he felt empty. In his mind, struggle was supposed to end the moment he crossed the border.
As Viktor Frankl once wrote, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” Yet no one had prepared Kwame for the inner work migration demands. He began experiencing anxiety, insomnia, and emotional numbness. He told himself to be grateful and pushed forward.
Dr. David Rex Orgen observes that many migrants confuse survival with healing. They build new lives without processing old losses. The mind, however, keeps the score. Unspoken pain does not disappear simply because circumstances improve.
The turning point came when Kwame attended a community forum on mental health. For the first time, he heard someone say it was normal to grieve what you left behind. He sought counseling. He learned that strength is not silence but self-awareness.
Maya Angelou wrote, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Kwame’s healing began when he allowed his story to be heard.
This new year, countless people will board planes chasing better lives. May they also carry permission to care for their mental well-being. Success should never cost your soul.

Written by Dr. David Rex Orgen, Best-Selling Author and International Mental Health Expert