At the time of going on a trip, everything is illusion and expectations about the place you are going to visit. You are curious about the culture, the gastronomy, the language and its habits. However, not everything that you idealize about destiny has to correspond to reality and may not be as you imagine it. In these cases, your body and mind react, and this reaction is known as traveler’s syndromes .
Perhaps the city is not what you expected and neither are the people. For the most sensitive travelers, this shock between reality and their imagination causes discomfort or changes their lives forever, depending on the meaning of that impact.
It is for this reason that experts recommend not setting high expectations before each trip, and that it is that new place that shows itself as it is. At that moment, you will know if it meets your expectations or not. In this way, you will avoid falling into any of the traveler’s syndromes.
Traveler’s syndromes: what do they consist of?
Traveler’s syndromes refer to the impact that tourists suffer when arriving in a new place . This impact may be positive or negative , depending on the tourist’s expectations before reaching their destination: perhaps because it is better than they thought (positive impact) or quite the opposite (negative impact).
Symptoms that you are suffering from traveler’s syndrome
How do you know if you are suffering from an episode of any of the known traveler’s syndromes?
In many cases, being an emotional response, it is not known if it is a reaction to the place or time in which the visit occurs. When traveling, the mood and personal state of the person will influence the perception of what he sees.
As a pattern more or less common to all known traveler syndromes, our body experiences a sudden increase in heart rate , and may even feel palpitations . Confusion and feelings of vertigo are also often generated. Hallucinations are another of the symptoms that can indicate that you are immersed in the syndrome. In those cases in which a disappointment occurs, the emotional reaction is to suffer a depression of the spirit.
What traveler syndromes are there?
The most curious thing about traveler’s syndromes is that they occur more frequently in the most famous cities on the planet. Due to the great expectations of tourists when they arrive in places other than those they always dreamed of . Such is the case of Paris, Florence, New York, Jerusalem or India.
Within this framework, these are the most common traveler’s syndromes. And they all have something in common: they refer to the place that generates them.
Paris syndrome
This syndrome has a peculiarity: it occurs mainly in Japanese tourists. It turns out that when they dare to visit the famous “city of love” they do so with great enthusiasm and a somewhat idealized image. So when they visit her they suffer a great disappointment that causes them psychological alterations. In the most serious cases they even have to go to hospitals.
What happens to them? Paris does not turn out to be the quiet and romantic city for a tourist that they thought. Therefore, emotional crisis, panic or anxiety attacks can occur, as well as fainting.
Such is the degree of affectation of the Paris syndrome in Japanese tourists that the Japanese embassy in the French city has arranged a call center for anyone affected by the traveler’s syndromes. The objective: to avoid any altercation that has tragic outcomes.
Stendhal syndrome
This is a somewhat more artistic syndrome. Well, it is common especially in the city of Florence, cradle of Renaissance art. It is the favorite destination for art lovers because, literally, on every corner you can find an artistic work.
Florence is a dream city, where more than one would dream of living. Unlike Paris, it is a quiet place, where you can admire each work.
Although some consider that it is excessively artistic and that is where another of the traveler’s syndromes occurs. The Stendhal syndrome or Florence syndrome consists of excessive exposure to artistic works that generates a physical or mental reaction.
Ultimately, it is that overexposure to so much work of art of incalculable value and extraordinary beauty overwhelms the traveler, causes vertigo, dizziness, hallucinations or the need to see more as a result of Stendhal syndrome.
Those who are affected cannot control their passion for art , living in a city full of museums and works of relevance. Like Botticelli’s Venus or Michelangelo’s David, among many others.
Traveler’s syndromes usually occur when the traveler does not meet your expectations. The difference is that, in Stendhal’s, these are exceeded.
The symptoms of Stendhal are similar to those of other traveler’s syndromes. So, if when you contemplate the Basilica of Santa María del Fiore, you feel rapid heartbeat , dizziness and even hallucinations, in the most extreme cases, you may suffer from Florence Syndrome.
Henri-Marie Beyle – Stendhal says:
“I had reached that point of emotion in which the celestial sensations given by the Fine Arts and passionate feelings meet. Leaving Santa Croce, my heart was beating, life was exhausted in me, I was afraid of falling “.
Jerusalem syndrome
Jerusalem is known to be one of the cities most visited by pilgrims . Therefore, it does not escape the traveler’s syndromes. When it comes to religious matters, people tend to be more sensitive than usual. So they are exposed to the pilgrim syndrome, as it is also known.
This traveler syndrome is also prevalent in the Vatican and other places of religious importance .
This is one of the most curious traveler syndromes, since people who suffer from it tend to feel strongly identified with biblical characters , being on sacred ground.
Therefore, they acquire characteristics of such a character, such as clothing to, finally, in many cases enter a kind of religious trance . There are those who try to personify Moses, Judas, or even Jesus.
India syndrome
Unlike previous traveler syndromes, this is one with very unfortunate consequences. In this case, the premise is fulfilled that those who imagine a place in one way end up finding something very different.
And it is that many of the tourists who travel to India do so in search of the spirituality for which this country is known. Although very few are aware of the existing reality and what they will be able to see in the place.
The truth is that it is common for the traveler with high expectations not to find the calm they expect, but rather a place with extreme poverty . In addition to very few hygienic conditions suitable for tourists.
For that reason, a state of paranoia and psychosis occurs in the person who is impacted by this reality and rejection situations are created.
While the other traveler syndromes that we have seen in the preceding paragraphs had a more playful component, here the syndrome can degenerate into very serious personal situations, so if you are going to travel to India, it is advisable to investigate what we are leaving to find. Shock can be very damaging.
Eternal Traveler Syndrome
Have you come back from a trip and just feel nostalgic to go back? Do you feel that your life is no longer in this city but where you traveled? It is true that some trips are life changing .
You can find the lifestyle that you always wanted to lead; the most suitable environment to develop yourself personally or professionally; But when this generates a picture of anxiety, then we speak of one of the symptoms of the less known traveler: the syndrome of the eternal traveler.
Some common symptoms are boredom for the life they lead at home , longing , changes in the dynamics of personal relationships prioritizing those acquired, or you have the feeling that you are missing experiences you want to live.
If the sufferer chooses to return to that place, they will find that the memories that this experience has generated do not correspond to reality. Therefore, they continue traveling in search of that place to belong.
Do you feel identified with any of these scenarios? Don’t worry, none of the traveler’s syndromes is permanent. It is only a momentary state , which is not considered serious on a mental level. Of course, if you perceive that it is something common every time you travel, it would be advisable to learn to control your emotions and be aware of the possible cultural shock that you are going to experience. Take the necessary precautions when traveling!
