Get to know Paris Syndrome when the real Paris is not as good as expected
Paris, France is a dream city for many people who intend to visit it at least once in their lives. Some may dream of sipping coffee in a chic roadside café, some may want to admire the golden light of the Eiffel Tower in the evening with their own eyes, some may want to walk arm in arm with their loved one on a romantic street like they have seen in เล่นบาคาร่า UFABET เว็บตรง ค่าคอมสูง their favorite movies.
But did you know that in the past in 1986, there were quite a few tourists, especially Japanese, who faced mental shock after experiencing the real city of Paris? This became the origin of an interesting disease called Paris Syndrome, discovered by a Japanese psychiatrist, Professor Hiroaki Ota, who worked in Paris. He found patients with anxiety, depression, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and in some cases, hallucinations after finding that Paris was not as beautiful and romantic as they had expected.
So what causes this strange symptom and how can we deal with these frustrations? Read on in this article.
Paris Syndrome is a psychiatric condition that was first discovered in Japanese tourists in 1986. Professor Hiroaki Ota, a Japanese psychiatrist working in Paris, reported that his patients experienced anxiety, depression, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and, in some cases, hallucinations after finding that Paris was not as beautiful and romantic as they had expected.
According to the Japanese Embassy in Paris, around 20 Japanese tourists a year seek treatment for this condition. The Journal of Travel Medicine analyzed the main causes of this condition, including high expectations from images in media, movies and advertisements, as well as cultural differences, particularly in terms of manners and service, which differ from Japan. In addition, travel fatigue, jet lag, and the fact that Paris has the same problems as any other big city, such as congestion, garbage and criminals, are also factors that contribute to the condition.
The International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice reports that similar symptoms of Paris Syndrome have been found in other tourist destinations, such as Jerusalem in Israel or Florence in Italy, and have similar causes: unrealistic expectations. The best way to cope is to adjust your expectations before you travel, learn from other travelers, prepare for culture shock, and plan for enough rest and relaxation, not too tight a schedule. Most importantly, look for authentic local experiences outside of the main tourist areas, and remember that every city has its own charm, even if it’s not as perfect as in the movies or advertisements.