Dromomania

Dromomania

Dromomania, also travelling fugue, is an uncontrollable psychological urge to wander.[1] People with this condition spontaneously depart from their routine, travel long distances and take up different identities and occupations. Months may pass before they return to their former identities. The term comes from the Greek: dromos (running) and mania (insanity).[2]

The most famous case was that of Jean-Albert Dadas, a Bordeaux gas-fitter. Dadas would suddenly set out on foot and reach cities as far away as Prague, Vienna or Moscow with no memory of his travels. A medical student, Philippe Tissie, wrote about Dadas in his doctoral dissertation in 1887.[citation needed]

Jean-Martin Charcot presented a similar case he called automatisme ambulatoire - French for "ambulatory automatism" or "walking around without being in control of one's own actions."

Only a handful of cases of such behaviour have been documented, nearly all in France in the late nineteenth century. On the other hand, dromomania in wider sense (e.g. spontaneous change of location undertaken due to dysphoria) can be characteristic of other mental disorders, e.g. Borderline personality disorder.

More generally, the term is sometimes used to describe people who have a strong emotional or even physical need to be constantly traveling and experiencing new places, often at the expense of their normal family, work, and social lives.

References

Bibliography

  • Mad Travellers: Reflections on the Reality of Transient Mental Illnesses by Ian Hacking (ISBN 1-85343-455-8)

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • dromomania — s. f. 1.  [Medicina] Tendência para correr ou fugir. 2. Automatismo ambulatório.   ‣ Etimologia: grego drómos, ou, corrida, passo rápido + mania …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • dromomanía — {{#}}{{LM D47365}}{{〓}} {{[}}dromomanía{{]}} ‹dro·mo·ma·ní·a› {{《}}▍ s.f.{{》}} Inclinación enfermiza a trasladarse de un lugar a otro …   Diccionario de uso del español actual con sinónimos y antónimos

  • dromomania — noun An irrational impulse to wander or travel without purpose …   Wiktionary

  • dromomania — An uncontrollable impulse to wander or travel. [G. dromos, a running, + mania, insanity] * * * dro·mo·ma·nia .dräm ə mā nē ə, .drōm n an exaggerated desire to wander * * * n. a pathologically strong impulse to travel, which is said to be present… …   Medical dictionary

  • dromomania — dro·mo·ma·nì·a s.f. TS psic. tendenza nevrotica a camminare senza sosta e frettolosamente {{line}} {{/line}} DATA: 1960. ETIMO: comp. di dromo e mania …   Dizionario italiano

  • dromomania — compulsive longing for travel Manias and Obsessions …   Phrontistery dictionary

  • dromomania — n. travelling fugue, psychological uncontrollable impulse or longing for travel; uncontrollable desire to wander …   English contemporary dictionary

  • dromomania — drom·o·ma·nia …   English syllables

  • dromomania — n. a pathologically strong impulse to travel …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • dromomania — ˌdräməˈmānēə noun Etymology: New Latin, from drom + mania : an exaggerated desire to wander …   Useful english dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”