How many trips is... too many?
"We are in 1886 , at the dawn of psychoanalysis, and Albert Dadas volunteers at the hospital Saint Andre of Bordeaux for them to cure him. Throughout his life, he has felt several times the irrepressible impulse to go away, to run away, when he sank into a trance from which he did not come out until he regained consciousness in another city, another country ". Thus begins the synopsis of ** Cautivo ,** the graphic novel by Christophe Dabitch and Christian Durieux which includes one of the first cases of "pathological fuguism" that they know each other He himself made both Dadas and his doctor famous, Philippe Tissie . "The story of his illness and his healing is a fascinating, true and exciting story ", they explain from the editorial.
After treating Dadas for several weeks, psychiatrists are known to have coined a name for his ailment: "dromomania" (from the Greek drómos, 'race'), which, according to the RAE, is the " excessive inclination or pathological obsession to move from one place to another ". The term was even picked up as " impulse control disorder " Y " psychiatric problem in the 2000 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association ). Its definition states that those who suffer from this disorder have a "abnormal" urge to travel: "are prepared to spend beyond their means, sacrifice jobs, lovers and safety in their search for new experiences.
When your only impulse is to reach the next destination
But, then, can one speak of "addiction" to travel as such? We asked the psychotherapist specialized in addictions ** Lidia Rodríguez Herrera .** "The essential element of all addictive disorders is the lack of control, that is, the lack of control of the affected person over a certain behavior, which at the beginning it is pleasurable, but that later is gaining ground among his preferences, until reaching dominate her life."
The main symptoms of it are, in the words of the expert: "A intense desire , craving or unstoppable need to carry out the pleasurable activity; the progressive loss of control about the same; the neglect of usual activities prior, both family, academic, work or free time; the progressive focalization of relationships, activities and interests and around addiction , with neglect or abandonment of previous interests and relationships, unrelated to the addictive behavior; irritability and discomfort at the impossibility of specify the pattern or addictive sequence (withdrawal) and impossibility of stop doing it after a short time".
The psychologist explains that these negative consequences are usually " warned by close friends ", which are communicated to the addict, who, despite this, " does not stop the activity and becomes defensive, denying the problem he suffers".
If he gets defensive when you talk about how much he travels, pay attention
SO, WE... ARE WE ADDICTED TO TRAVEL?
Let's remember: every pro traveler (we include ourselves) has had to hear from his relatives that "is that you do nothing but spend money on little trips" , "is that what is the need to go to the other side of the world ", "is that you are never here ..." But of course, from there to leaving everything to be from one place to another, there is a long way.
"Exist different types of travelers and different ways of managing trips," says Rodríguez. " over-travel could be related to personality trait "risk seekers" , which is characterized more than by the number of trips made by the person, by the travel style in search of novel experiences charged with adrenaline. Nevertheless, They don't have to be addicted for that ".
In fact, the problem may not be traveling a lot... but the reason why it is done: "When you only think about packing , there is a possibility that it underlies a problem that is being avoided because the person does not know or does not want to face it. There are those who, in their day to day life, live in a continuing dissatisfaction and they think that, by going to new destinations, they will feel better. They can enjoy during the trip (which will also depend on previous expectations), but when they return to their place of origin, they feel again dissatisfied ", reels the specialist.
That's the way it is, " in no case traveling is the problem in itself , but may be due to a avoidant behavior ", since, as Rodríguez indicates, "Travel promotes well-being , produces a change and growth . Also, traveling as a temporary alteration as a break from responsibilities is indisputably healthy to promote the Mental balance ; we move away from worries and tensions are relieved for a while, reconnects with oneself and with the present. And if it's done with friends or ** family **, ties are strengthened. In addition, the experience lasts over time, so ** we invest in long-term happiness ** ".
thrill seekers
In this way, the alarm signal must arise when you live only for and for the next trip , because "it is possible that the life one is leading not filling you up enough ". That is one of the indicators that should make us worry, as well as "feeling, in a way, social uprooting or isolation; notice that family and friends have already made a comment; perceive that a great deal of time is spent looking at blogs and travel guides ; check that more money is spent of what was thought; feel anxiety if the trip cannot be carried out planned or if you are more than three months In the same place…"
But what about those They travel very often for example, for work? Are they at risk of becoming "travel addicts"? "It is possible that these types of people suffer the consequences of excessive migration : migratory grief and social uprooting . So they can grow superfluous relationships; develop a "double life" in the case of circulation between two cities; generate family problems and lose contact with friendships established, all of which can isolate the person and produce a persistent feeling of emptiness, dissatisfaction and not find oneself ".
Even so, in the words of the psychologist, the fact of being constantly on the move "does not generate addiction" and, if the limits that we have already mentioned are not reached, "it is not necessary to analyze the causes for rethink lifestyle or priorities ".
always on the road