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When Doctors Thought ‘Wanderlust’ Was a Psychological Condition

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Re: When Doctors Thought ‘Wanderlust’ Was a Psychological Condition

#61

Post by [deleted] »

50656E6973 wrote: post #60
johnchristopher wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Nothing you described was indicative of that person having a "mental illness" so much as exhibiting anti-social behavior. I know this is the internet and for all you know I could be a dog but this is HN and I assume that if I say that person suffered from schizophrenia you know I am not saying that lightly. Now what more do you want ? A transcript of the conversation between his mother and the department director w…

That's much more indicative. >if I say that person suffered from schizophrenia you know I am not saying that lightly. Unfortunately, it is very common (even on HN) for people to toss around labels like "crazy", "nutjob", and "schizo" against people they disagree with because it exempts oneself from the burden of empathizing, introspecting, and thinking deeper.

[deleted]

Re: When Doctors Thought ‘Wanderlust’ Was a Psychological Condition

#62

Post by [deleted] »

asveikau wrote: post #49
drb91 wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is an unreasonable amount of vacation?

Near constant. Planning the next one before starting the ones that you've booked. Showing a very clear feedback loop of internal stress, escape, escape itself causing more stress, leading to further perceived need to escape. I don't want to get into lots of personal detail, but it's the kind of thing that when you see it from the outside it's clear as day. And saddening.

[deleted]

Re: When Doctors Thought ‘Wanderlust’ Was a Psychological Condition

#63

Post by DoreenMichele »

izzydata wrote: post #2

Aren't most mental disorders just behaviors that differ from the norm and make it difficult for those people to function in everyday society? Some cultures wouldn't recognize some things as a disorder if it wasn't difficult for those people. My point being that I don't understand where you draw the line. If someone had such a need to wander the world that it meant that they couldn't live properly in modern society th…

Labeling someone "crazy" is often a convenient means to assume there is nothing wrong with the world. It's normal. People who have an issue with it are simply disordered.

The article even lists an actual diagnosis invented to call runaway slaves crazy:

In the United States, physician and noted racist Samuel A. Cartwright invented a related mental disorder called drapetomania, the urge that led slaves to run away. He claimed the only treatment was extreme whipping.

That example seems farcical, but, to this day, most homeless people are written off as crazy and therefore unhelpable due to a random and unfixable personal defect. I'm routinely told on HN that the crazy high cost of housing has nothing at all to do with homelessness.

Women have historically been labeled "hysterical" and there is a long tradition of prescribing women Valium when a divorce might have been a better prescription in some sense. Though, really, societal sexism was likely the larger issue that helped make the marriage so bad to begin with and divorce such an undesirable choice that Valium seemed to make more sense.

Re: When Doctors Thought ‘Wanderlust’ Was a Psychological Condition

#64

Post by eeZah7Ux »

maxheadroom wrote: post #17
izzydata wrote: post #2

Aren't most mental disorders just behaviors that differ from the norm and make it difficult for those people to function in everyday society? Some cultures wouldn't recognize some things as a disorder if it wasn't difficult for those people. My point being that I don't understand where you draw the line. If someone had such a need to wander the world that it meant that they couldn't live properly in modern society th…

> Aren't most mental disorders just behaviors that differ from the norm and make it difficult for those people to function in everyday society? (Story time.) I went to a presentation one time at work about mental health. (It was part of the government's mental health awareness campaign[0].) In this presentation, the presenter mentioned bathing/lack of changing clothes as a marker for possible mental health issues. As…

"marker for possible ..." != "clear evidence"

Re: When Doctors Thought ‘Wanderlust’ Was a Psychological Condition

#66

Post by eeZah7Ux »

asveikau wrote: post #47
lazyjones wrote: post #13

Surely there can be both a healthy "wanderlust" borne out of curiosity and eagerness to explore the world and a pathological restlessness due to some anxiety disorder? I don't see a convincing case for conflating these two things. But it does make a good headline...

I have definitely been close to people who seemed to book an unreasonable amount of vacations to get away from their mood disorders.

"amount" is not the right metric. It's the compulsive aspect.

Re: When Doctors Thought ‘Wanderlust’ Was a Psychological Condition

#67

Post by asveikau »

eeZah7Ux wrote: post #66
asveikau wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have definitely been close to people who seemed to book an unreasonable amount of vacations to get away from their mood disorders.

"amount" is not the right metric. It's the compulsive aspect.

That's correct. I am using amount as a proxy for this (less compulsive people in the same circumstance would have a lesser amount), but I am absolutely meaning to say it your way.

Re: When Doctors Thought ‘Wanderlust’ Was a Psychological Condition

#68

Post by opan »

izzydata wrote: post #2

Aren't most mental disorders just behaviors that differ from the norm and make it difficult for those people to function in everyday society? Some cultures wouldn't recognize some things as a disorder if it wasn't difficult for those people. My point being that I don't understand where you draw the line. If someone had such a need to wander the world that it meant that they couldn't live properly in modern society th…

A lot of illegal things are also just what somebody didn't like at one point and then we were told to not like. Going back to mental disorders, I came across the terms "neurodiverse" and "neurodivergent" which you might find interesting. Everything from anxiety and autism to schizophrenia. I find myself liking this perspective. I'm not diagnosed with anything, but I don't doubt I could be, so these topics interest me somewhat.

Re: When Doctors Thought ‘Wanderlust’ Was a Psychological Condition

#70

Post by tom_ »

jackbravo wrote: post #59
anjc wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Access to water in Ireland is assumed to such an extent that it isn't even listed in the ESRI's criteria for poverty. As such, it's very obvious that lack of bathing/changing clothes will almost NEVER be due to lack of access to water. Even temporary halting sites must have access to water considered by local councils. > From a privileged, lower-middle class or above perspective Very confused as to why you think 'wat…

In Mexico it is more common to have water shortages on low income areas in big cities. Whereas rich areas can even have their own water wells.

Right, but this post refers to the Republic of Ireland, a sovereign state in the British Isles, a part of the world where there is, on average, zero shortage of water in general. It literally falls out of the sky.
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