People usually travel from one place to another for different reasons, especially for vacations, work or studies. Whatever the reason, the fact of moving by different means of transportation from one place to another corresponds to planning a moment designed for enjoyment. Although it is true that travel is usually associated with rest, tranquility and well-being, some people develop an intense fear of this type of situation, which can cause a major obstacle to their daily activities.
In this Psychology-Online article, we will provide you with information about the Hodophobia (fear of traveling): what it is, symptoms, causes and how to overcome it.
What is hodophobia
When we refer to hodophobia, we are talking about an anxiety disorder characterized by the presence of a irrational and exacerbated fear of the idea of traveling and included within the group of specific phobias defined by the DSM-V. In this sense, it is necessary to clarify that a series of diagnostic criteria must be met for a condition of hodophobia to be established:
- immediately faced with the idea of traveling.
- The object or situation usually generates fear and/or anxiety responses.
- Avoidance of the situation or object.
- Fear or anxiety disproportionate to the real danger posed by the situation or object.
- Deterioration of social, work and family relationships.
- Duration of six months or more.
- The alterations cannot be explained by the presence of any other mental disorder or the intake of toxic substances or medications.
Symptoms of hodophobia
How does the fear of traveling manifest itself? To gain a greater understanding of hodophobia, it is important to pay attention to the warning signs that appear in hodophobia. This will allow us to establish strategies in order to produce improvements in the person’s quality of life. Next, we will describe the most relevant symptoms:
- Fear of traveling to other places by transport.
- Catastrophic thoughts related to death.
- Feeling of helplessness.
- Unsafety.
- Nervousness.
- .
- Incrise of cardiac frecuency.
- Excessive sweating.
- Palpitations.
- Tremors.
- Nausea and vomiting.
Despite the description we have carried out, it is important to mention that the presence of any of these symptoms in isolation does not necessarily constitute a picture of hodophobia and The diagnosis must be made by a professional of mental health.
Causes of hodophobia
Why do I have hodophobia? Finding the origin of hodophobia is one of the most important aspects to take into account, since its detection will allow the difficulties that the condition entails to be treated more effectively and quickly. For this reason, below we will develop the main causes associated with hodophobia:
Environmental factors
The past experiences They have a great influence on our current emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Therefore, it is possible that the person who has experienced a traumatic moment on a trip can establish hodophobia as a pattern of response to situations that remind them of that experience.
On the other hand, the imitation of people’s behaviors significant Your environment also plays an important role in the acquisition of habits. If within the family there has been someone diagnosed with hodophobia, there is a high probability that the same actions will be taken when traveling.
Genetic factors
The Genetic heritage It is another of the main causes of fear of traveling, since there are certain neural connections linked to the processing of external stimuli that can be activated in specific situations like this.
Therefore, if the person responds with fear to traveling, it can be deduced that one of the parents has largely developed this type of neural connections. Given this, it is necessary to focus attention on the genetic information transmitted from generation to generation.
How to overcome hodophobia
How to overcome the fear of traveling? Despite the obstacles that hodophobia can cause, today there are approaches that can improve a person’s quality of life:
Psychological therapy
One of the main causes of hodophobia lies in having experienced some unpleasant moment in the past. Therapy is a space that offers the possibility of reflect on thoughts, emotions and behaviors that give rise to the symptoms that a person presents.
On the one hand, there are short-term therapies that are responsible for providing tools to cope with situations of fear and/or anxiety in a more enjoyable way, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. On the other hand, long-term therapies, such as psychoanalysis, aim to find the origin of the symptoms through the memory of childhood situations. Finding the origin of the condition will allow the person to adopt other alternatives when facing moments in which they have to travel.
Psychiatric medication
In cases that represent considerable severity, the provision of hodophobia may be a viable option to reduce the intensity of the symptoms of hodophobia. However, it is important to keep in mind that the use of these medications must be ssupervised by a mental health professional specialized.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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References
- American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington: Panamericana Medical Publishing.
Bibliography
- Delgado Reyes, AC, Sánchez López, JV (2019). Fear, phobias and their treatments. Electronic Journal of Psychology Iztacala, 22 (2), 798-833.
- Korstanje, M. (2008). The fear of traveling: a state of the art. Nomads. Critical Journal of Social and Legal Sciences, 20 (4), 1-24.