Dromomania is a real thing. Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of dromomania?! Truth is, you’re not alone if this sounds like a made up term. It is actually an authentic term, but using it to describe so-called “travel addiction” is not quite accurate. In this post, I’ll help clear up the meaning of dromomania and explain whether or not you can be addicted to travel.
Dromomania refers to a historical psychiatric diagnosis with symptoms like an incessant urge for wandering. This set of symptoms has also been called “travel fugue”. Basically, it refers to what you might call travel addiction. First of all, please note that this is a historical diagnosis. That means that it is not a current diagnosis as recognized in the DSM-5. The DSM-5, or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition by the American Psychiatric Association, is the primary source that mental health professionals use to make psychiatric diagnoses.
So, these days you would not receive a diagnosis of dromomania from a professional counselor, psychologist, or psychiatrist. So…it’s not an authentic term then? Not exactly. Read on.
Travel Problems
The notion that a person can be addicted to certain behaviors remains in the DSM-5 today. Substance use disorders are the first example that comes to mind, though other behavioral “addiction” issues are included such as Gambling Use Disorder. Others have proposed that video game addiction should be included as a diagnosable disorder as well.
If we were to remove the notion of whether or not travel addiction has a specific diagnosable label, and simply consider the impact of when people struggle with unrelenting need for travel that causes problems in their lives, then we can probably agree that it’s a real issue.
So although dromomania is not a diagnosable condition, the underlying theme of excessive travel can cause genuine problems. The key here, as with almost all current DSM-5 disorders, is that the issue must be problematic for the individual. Problems can include impairment in relationships or employment due to excessive desire for travel.
A “Dromomania” Example
For example, consider the made-up case of Bill.
Bill loves to travel. I mean, he really loves to travel. He has found that unless he is traveling, he feels emotionally miserable and only feels “okay again” when he gets back to traveling. Bill has lost several friends and his wife is considering divorce due to Bill’s hyper-focused drive for travel to the exclusion of spending time or addressing problems in those relationships. He just got fired from his job position because he has missed too much time at work while traveling.
He’s also been unable to focus on job tasks because he was spending company time on the computer researching his next travel opportunity. He’s now in debt from recent travels he couldn’t afford at the time, and now he no longer has a working income. Even his personal grooming has suffered as he would rather be out exploring than attending to self-care activities like showering and personal sanitation. Clearly, Bill has a problem with travel.
“When travel shifts from healthy activity to problematic interference in life, making a change may be necessary.”
-Psychology of Travel
Can you relate to Bill’s situation? This was a somewhat extreme case, but are there pieces that sound familiar to you or someone you know? When travel shifts from healthy activity to problematic interference in life, making a change may be necessary.
Dealing with Travel Addiction
What can I do if I suffer from excessive and problematic travel-related behaviors? First of all, talk about it with a friend or loved one. Ask for their opinion on your travel behaviors and any particular areas that you think may be affecting your life negatively. We all have blind spots in our life that we may be missing, but those closest to us can usually tell if there’s a problem.
You can also consider meeting with a licensed counselor (see psychologytoday.com for psychologists in your area) to help you gain more insight into what’s driving your excessive passion for travel. Therapy can also help you develop changes in your behavior to help reduce the impairment caused by the problematic travel behaviors. See this post for a discussion of a related theme travel withdrawal.
Of course, not everyone who travels excessively needs to seek therapy. Particularly for less severe forms of unhealthy travel behaviors, take serious stock of your situation to see what you need to change. This may mean fewer overall trips, less expensive trips, prioritizing relationships/works/other facets of life above your next urge to travel. Do some problem solving to see if you can take out the unhealthy elements of your travel.
“Do some problem solving to see if you can take out the unhealthy elements of your travel.”
-Psychology of Travel
Manage your mental health, as sometimes excessive travel stems from a desire to avoid having to deal with life stressors. Does this sound like you? Consider other activities like exercise, relaxation techniques, or considering how to more proactively address the things stressing you out.
Find alternative ways to scratch that travel itch by reading about travel. Have you ever considered writing about your travels? Whether crafted for eventual publication or travel blogging, or simply for your own self-expression, writing can be a healthy option. Consider other kinds of travel-themed activities like tracking your travels with a pinnable world map. For a gift idea for that special “dromomaniac” in your life, I like this cool world map with pushpins.
You may even find interest in writing about your struggles with excessive travel, as you are not alone in experiencing this phenomenon. Others can benefit from your insight. Every considered creating a travel blog? I would recommend you get a site host like Bluehost, the gold standard in professional web hosting with extremely affordable pricing in this Bluehost link.
Ultimately, recognition of the problems associated with excessive travel is the springboard for change. So, take a balanced look at how you travel, how often you travel, why you travel, along with the challenges and benefits to get a more comprehensive sense of how traveling impacts you.
Happy Travels (in healthy moderation of course!),
-Dr. L
Founder of PsychologyofTravel
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