Indeed, for several years everything went well: Igor studied normally, was friends with his peers, attended some clubs... That is, he was like everyone else. However, when he was fifteen years old, he suddenly disappeared again. I went to school and... ended up in Sochi. There he was detained by the police, as Igor was put on the all-Union wanted list. One can only imagine what his parents went through during those days when nothing was known about the fate of their son. Igor again could not intelligibly explain the reason for his action: they say, he left the house, and then he was “pulled” somewhere. I ended up at the station and boarded the train. He remembers what happened next vaguely. This time, the parents finally took the teenager to the doctors. After a thorough examination, Igor was diagnosed with dromomania (from the Greek dromos - run, path and mania), that is, an irresistible attraction to wandering and changing places.
Despite the fact that this disease is not very common, since time immemorial people have been known who suddenly, for inexplicable reasons, disappeared from their home, and then, unknown to themselves, found themselves far from it, in another city or even country. Moreover, a time period from several days to several months often disappeared from their consciousness, just when they were on the road. These incidents were previously considered to be the machinations of the devil, and the “possessed” themselves were persecuted by the Inquisition. Later, psychiatrists paid attention to dromomaniacs, but they did not make much progress in understanding the mechanisms of the onset of the disease and its course. However, most experts believe that this disorder develops in combination with other disorders, as a consequence of head injuries, concussions and brain diseases. Most often, dromomania acts as a reflection of schizophrenia, epilepsy, hysteria and other disorders. Moreover, it is mainly men who are prone to this disease. Elimination of the disease (along with other symptoms) is possible only with special treatment. The patients themselves usually say that they suddenly “come over” and they break away and drive or walk, not knowing where or why. It is almost impossible to fight the disease on your own. Professor A.V. Snezhnevsky writes: “Initially, as with any desire, the patient tries to suppress this emerging desire, but it becomes more and more dominant, irresistible, and finally reaches such a degree that the patient suffering from it, without thinking about the fight, strives for realization of desire, often, even during work, he leaves her and goes to the nearest station, pier, often without a penny of money, without warning anyone, boards a train, ship and goes wherever his eyes look. This trip usually lasts for several days. This time he eats poorly, is in poverty, but, nevertheless, travels, changes places. And then all this passes, a state of relief and mental relaxation sets in. Such patients, half-starved, dirty, exhausted, are returned to their place of residence by the police or have difficulty getting back. "There comes, sometimes a very short, bright period, and then, after a while, everything repeats itself."
Igor, mentioned above, despite the fact that he was treated for a long time, did not lose this painful wanderlust with age. Already as an adult married man, three times a year, for no apparent reason, he would take off and disappear. He returns about two or three weeks later, dirty and tattered. His wife, understandably, suffered greatly, but could not do anything, just as the doctors could not do anything. And it’s also a shame that a person can travel halfway around the country during an attack, but still not see or remember anything.
By the way, dromomania is often attributed to tramps and homeless children. Indeed, among the minor “travelers” there are children possessed by a painful craving for vagrancy. However, in most cases the reasons are not medical, but social. The child is running away from his own problems or family problems. Many people are attracted by the fact that drugs and alcohol are easily accessible to them outside their doorstep. As for adult tramps who have left their homes forever, then, according to psychiatrists, dromomania occurs only in 3-4% of cases (regardless of country, region, nationality, etc.). This opinion is fully confirmed by data from the St. Petersburg branch of the International Humanitarian Organization Doctors Without Borders. According to their study, 3.8% of homeless people left their housing due to personal choice, and only 0.2% lost their housing due to mental health problems.
Can professional travelers be called dromomaniacs? They, too, cannot stay in one place for a long time; they are also drawn by the wind of wanderings. However, unlike sick people, they set off on a journey quite consciously, not spontaneously, they think through the route in advance, etc. And most importantly, they remember all the trips very well. And yet, it is quite likely that light form this mental disorder they have. It is difficult to imagine that a person, voluntarily abandoning all the benefits of civilization, would embark on a dangerous and sometimes unpredictable journey.
IN modern world tourism and entertainment travel becomes the main goal of our life.
Travel is freedom unusual experience, New acquaintances. For the opportunity to travel, people take jobs high paying job, refuse the burden of pets or even family.
- "Freedom to Travel"
- “Truth is in motion!”
- “Everything changes when you change places!”
- "Travel freely and easily!"
- “Fireworks of an unforgettable experience!”
We are beckoned by colorful slogans of travel companies, promising freedom from everyday problems, bustle, fatigue and boredom.
Interest in wandering under the general buzz of society develops into a real passion for changing location and environment.
But what is hidden behind this pursuit of new impressions, emotions, friends?
One of Sigmund Freud's passions was a "passionate desire to travel and see the world." Freud himself analyzed his desire to travel in a letter to the French writer Romain Rolland:
The passion to travel is, of course, a manifestation of the desire to be free, akin to the desire of growing children to escape from home. It has long been clear to me that much of the enjoyment of travel is rooted in dissatisfaction with home and family. When a person sees the sea, crosses the ocean, admires new cities and countries that have been distant and unattainable for so long, he feels like a hero who has accomplished incredibly great feats.
The desire to escape from the usual environment, dissatisfaction with family and home, the desire to accomplish a feat - this is what, according to the Austrian psychologist, founder of psychoanalysis, again and again pushes people to distant lands.
Indeed, what feat will you accomplish at home at the stove or at work (unless, of course, you are a rescuer, a policeman, a doctor or a representative of another romantic profession)? Home is work, home is work. Quite boring and monotonous.
In addition, both there and there problems occur that need to be solved. And we strive to break free, leave, fly away, sail away from family and friends with whom we cannot find mutual language, from the mess at home, in the head and in life in general.
And we rush, rush, rush to distant, beautiful, sunny lands, acquiring a new profession - traveler.
Psychiatrists sometimes call professional travelers dromomaniacs, people suffering from dromomania - an impulsive pathological desire to change places. Pathologically strong passion to travel. This disease mainly affects teenage children who are obsessed with vagrancy. However, in most cases the reasons are not medical, but social. The child is running away from his own problems or family problems.
Often, in pursuit of something new, we run not somewhere, but from somewhere and from someone - from home, from work, from family, from children. But sooner or later you have to return. To return rested, tanned, with a smile on your face, but to a rather gray and boring city, to home laundry and TV, to children demanding attention, misunderstanding parents, a demanding boss. And we understand that the mess remains and requires your intervention.
Traveling gives the illusion of happiness, it’s just a rest stop.
But upon returning home, the problems do not go away, but only intensify.
Of course, travel, vacation, change of place are important and necessary.
For emotional health.
The most interesting adventure is to go on a journey within yourself, said American comedian Danny Kaye.
And the Briton Gilbert Keith Chesterton believed that
the purpose of travel is not to visit as many foreign places as possible, but to set foot on your own land as if it were someone else’s.
Let's try to look at ourselves, our lives and loved ones
as something unfamiliar, unknown and fraught with mystery.
Travel is all the rage among Russians these days! Some people even compete with each other to see who can visit larger number countries and cities. They bring thousands of photographs, show them to friends, girlfriends, brag, tell their impressions.
At first glance, traveling is a very good hobby that broadens your horizons, enriches you with knowledge and brings a lot of positive impressions. That's true, but only if you don't turn your passion for travel into a passion. You take care of your favorite job, home and family, and when it’s time for vacation, you go on trips - a couple of times a year.
In this case, traveling is a wonderful pastime and relaxation, but some people are so carried away by traveling that all other things are pushed into the background. Travel turns into a passion, and people quit their jobs, rent out an apartment and live in one Asian country, then in another, thinking that this is the most happy life.
I managed to make a lot of trips, and from my own experience I know that everything, even the most beautiful and bright, eventually ceases to impress and bring pleasure. It was the same for me, I was fed up with traveling and didn’t see anything new in it. It took me a lot of effort to get back to full life, to take up a once-loved job again.
I succeeded, but many people do not and will not succeed. In any case, you won’t be able to travel all your life. These are rare cases when a person manages to make traveling the work of his whole life, like Fedor Konyukhov. There are only a few people like him, and the majority at a certain age will not find the strength to travel. And then what? When last years the man did not think about anything, but only chased impressions.
As a result, especially enthusiastic travelers will be disfigured by their passion for the rest of their lives, since people will not be able to adapt to ordinary life, where outside the window of the house there is the same landscape, where there is nothing exotic and wonderful. Although ordinary life is so gray at first glance. But in reality, even living in a small town without any travel, a person can lead a vibrant life, full of impressions and happiness. Because long-term happiness does not depend on the landscapes and beauties outside your car window, not on external fleeting impressions, but on what is inside us. And if a person does not understand this, no exotic countries, no cultural capitals will not make him happy, he will chase around the world until his strength leaves him, and then his soul and mind will be filled with emptiness and disappointment. After all, the life to which he was accustomed has passed and will never return.
I suddenly developed a craving for travel, many years ago, now I don’t remember exactly when, and it doesn’t matter anymore, the important thing is that this hobby gradually developed into a mania or phobia or illness. In early spring and late autumn, twice a year, when in the Moscow region there is dirt and slush, unpleasant transitional weather, the body begins to ache, the soul begins to suffer in hot countries, the time begins for me beach holiday. Only on the shore of a warm sea (or ocean) can I feel comfortable and relaxed: bask in the warming and caressing rays of the sun, breathe in clean and healing sea air, fall asleep to the sound of the surf.
My illness turned out to be contagious, my wife and daughter are happy to go for “treatment” with me, and sometimes we bring friends along.
We traveled almost the entire Middle East and Asia, the northern part of the African continent. Countries for travel are scheduled for a year in advance, routes and excursions are chosen in advance, collecting information about the country, morals and customs, as well as a dozen phrases and words in the local language, is mandatory. I have no problems with the language of international communication, so all issues are resolved very quickly. We choose a tour operator, hotel, catering system and air carriers a month in advance, i.e. now. If you don’t do this in advance, go on a “last minute ticket” or use the “fortuna” system, then your vacation may not be possible, and if you don’t fly at all, then depression cannot be avoided. Depression is, of course, too strong a word, but apathy towards work, fatigue, lack of desires, laziness, creative crisis, etc., will haunt me until I find myself on the beach or in the mountains, but always with a view of the sea .
The worst thing about my mania for traveling is that such expensive travel takes a lot of money, I have to save on everything, sometimes deny myself the most necessary things (I’m talking to myself, my savings don’t apply to my family). But what incentive is there to work after a vacation in order to earn as much as possible and, accordingly, in half a year to spend everything on the next trip? Many people don’t understand me, they say that it would be better to renovate the house or buy a bigger TV or change the car to a new one, but I don’t want to change anything in my life. I like my car, there is nothing more reliable than an old German diesel engine, my family is wealthy, and my friends stop grumbling when I bring everyone souvenirs and strange things from yet another exotic Eastern country.
I think it all started with a phrase I heard at a lecture: “You can lose everything in life: family, apartment, car and other benefits, but the memories, impressions, pleasant sensations gained while traveling around the world will never disappear and will warm your heart even in the most difficult times.” Hard times".
