Seafarers are not used to talking about their psychological state — either during a voyage or after returning. “Got through it — that means I’m strong.” But some things don’t go away on their own. And there are signs that signal: it’s time to talk to a specialist. Here are seven of them.
Why Seafarers Rarely Seek Psychological Help
Several reasons. First — cultural: men in the maritime field traditionally don’t talk about emotions. “You’re a captain, no one will understand.” Second — practical: where do you find a psychologist at sea? Third — fear: “What will people think. It’ll go in the medical record. I might lose my job.”
Reality: a psychology consultation is not a psychiatric diagnosis. It’s a conversation with a specialist about what’s happening. Free psychologists are now more available than ever — in online format and through organisations like Stella Maris.
Signs 1–3: Physical and Emotional Signals
Sign 1. Sleep stopped being restorative. You sleep but wake up exhausted. Or you can’t fall asleep — the bed at home feels uncomfortable, thoughts are spinning. After 6 months at sea, a few weeks of sleep disturbance is normal. But if it continues for more than a month — it’s a signal.
Sign 2. Irritability for no reason. People close to you say “you’ve changed.” You get angry at small things you wouldn’t have noticed before. The child makes noise — you leave the room. Your partner asks about plans — you reply sharply. This is not character — it’s a nervous system that is overloaded.
Sign 3. Physical tension and anxiety. Heart “jumping” without exertion. Difficulty breathing in a confined space. A feeling that something is “not right” without a specific reason. The body is responding to stress that the mind hasn’t named yet.
Signs 4–5: Behavioural Changes After a Voyage
Sign 4. Alcohol as a way to “switch off.” After a voyage this seems normal — “to relax,” “to celebrate.” But if after a month the nightly glass or bottle of beer becomes mandatory “to level out” — it’s no longer a celebration. It’s an attempt to cope with something that’s difficult.
Sign 5. Avoiding social contact. You don’t want to see anyone. Meetings with friends are irritating or exhausting. Staying home for a long time becomes more comfortable than any contact. After the solitude of a voyage this sounds paradoxical — but social isolation after returning home happens often.
Signs 6–7: Family and Social Signals
Sign 6. Family conflicts have become systematic. Every voyage brings new misunderstandings after returning. Your partner says “you’re absent even when you’re here.” Children keep their distance. The usual family roles were distributed without you — and you don’t know where your place is now.
Sign 7. Thoughts about the meaning of work and the future have become intrusive. “Why am I doing this.” “I’m missing everything important.” “Maybe I should leave the sea.” Such thoughts come to everyone, but if they repeat and give no peace — it’s not a “midlife crisis,” it’s a request for support.
Vasyl Kovalenko — A Captain Who Waited for It “To Pass on Its Own”
Vasyl is 51. Captain of a bulk carrier, 22 years at sea. After one difficult voyage — a colleague’s death on board — he started sleeping poorly, became withdrawn, irritable at home.
“I thought it would pass. These things happen at sea.” He waited six months. During those six months — two serious conflicts with his wife, complete estrangement from his teenage daughter, and two voyages where he “just served time.”
He found a psychologist through Stella Maris — free online consultation. Four sessions. “I didn’t need to resolve anything — I just needed to tell someone honestly.” His condition changed noticeably after the third conversation.
How to Find a Psychologist and What Support from Stella Maris Means
Stella Maris Ukraine provides psychological support to seafarers and their family members. Free. In online format. Confidentially.
This is not “treatment” — it’s a conversation with someone who understands the specifics of maritime work and won’t look at you as a “problem.”
Both the seafarer and their partner or parents can reach out. No documents or referrals needed.
Psychological Support from Stella Maris
We invite everyone connected to the sea to take advantage of our free offerings. Psychological support and grant-based financial literacy training.
We send our newsletter only once a month.