Imagine that you are arriving in a country that you have long wanted to visit. Perhaps you have watched a lot of films or read at least as many books about this country and imagined it in a certain way. The brain associates it with specific sights, dishes, images, and atmospheres.
And finally, day X has arrived. Upon arrival, you walk around the city, exploring well-known locations, museums, and cafes. However, the “wow” effect does not happen: in reality, everything does not look so bewitching and magical. It seems like nothing terrible happened, but still, you feel disappointed, sad, and sad. Isn’t it a shame to be so disappointed in something?
It turns out that there is a special term in psychiatry to describe such a condition – Paris syndrome.
Story
In the 1980s, Japanese people began to turn to doctors for help more often than usual. They complained of headaches, anxiety, mild hallucinations, and heart palpitations. At first glance, there was no apparent reason for this, but soon experts identified a factor that united such patients: they had all recently returned from France.
As a result, psychiatrists introduced a new term, “Paris syndrome,” which meant a mental disorder with the above symptoms. At the same time, Japanese doctors noticed that young girls aged 25-30 who moved to the capital of France and lived here from several months to several years are at risk.
Causes
This feeling of well-being was caused by the unfriendly behavior of residents, the language barrier, differences in mentality, and the usual overwork of travelers. In addition, Japanese experts could not help but note the cultural romanticization of the image of Paris, which is considered to be the city of love.
“As it turned out, the psyche of travelers from Japan is not ready to visit cities like Paris. They travel, hoping for hospitality, but are met with the complete opposite. Their nerves cannot withstand such a load,” explained one of the psychologists.