Hodophobia or fear of traveling: what does it consist of?

Concern about having to move away from home, from our city and from everything that is known and safe to us. Anguish at the idea of ​​something happening to us far from home. Dizziness, sweating and tachycardia when boarding a train or plane… As striking as it may seem to us, Hodophobia or fear of traveling is a type of disorder capable of altering the life of those who suffer from it..

It is true that the vast majority relate trips to enriching experiences, the kind that are scheduled as soon as possible. Escaping routine and discovering new scenarios is a powerful stimulus. However, not everyone experiences it in the same way. There are those who are truly terrified of leaving everything that offers them security. And, sometimes, traveling is something that has to be done, either for work reasons or for family reasons.

The anxiety experienced in these situations is invalidating and can be very limiting.. At the end of the day, phobias are those situations that are so unique and strange for those who do not suffer from them (or understand them), but so devastating for the person who experiences them firsthand. Let’s delve into it.

Hodophobia or fear of traveling: definition, symptoms, causes and therapeutic strategies

Hodophobia or fear of traveling has been part of human beings for a long time. Not everyone feels good crossing their comfort zone. Getting on certain means of transportation and reaching new scenarios that are beyond your control and that you are not familiar with raises alarm, concern and fear.

Now, we know that we are dealing with a type of specific phobia that is classified in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). It is an irrational and paralyzing fear capable of limiting social, personal and work aspects of the individual.

Nevertheless, In hodophobia there is a particularity and that is that each person experiences it in a different wayThat is, there are those who are afraid of means of transportation, others of the simple fact of moving away from home, and a few of them of facing an unknown scenario. Obviously, there are many who bring together all these dimensions.

Thus, and although it may cause some contradiction that there are people who do not enjoy traveling, there is one aspect that we must remember. Phobias affect 1 in 23 people; are the most common psychiatric disorder and who more and who less suffers from some type of limiting apprehension.

What are the symptoms?

Like all phobias, hodophobia or fear of traveling manifests itself with very heterogeneous emotional, cognitive and also physical symptoms. Let’s look at the most common ones.

emotional manifestations

Fear of taking any means of transportation that takes us away from home. Feeling that something bad is going to happen to us on that trip. Anguish at the idea of ​​leaving what is safe for us.Shame by discussing with other people what happens to us.

Cognitive symptoms

Make it difficult to take care of everything that travel involvesour thoughts pile up, we get stuck when we arrive at the airport, when we take the train.We imagine a thousand negative situations: accidents, that we get lost when we get to that city, that we get robbed, that we won’t find the hotel… Difficulties not to think about something else days or weeks before making that trip.States of confusion and mental blockage.

Physical symptoms

DizzinessStomach pain and intestinal disorders. Vomiting.Tachycardias.Sweating may appear panic attacks.

What are the causes of hodophobia or fear of traveling?

Knowing the cause behind a phobia is always complicated. Studies such as those carried out at the Timone Neuroscience Institute (France) indicate that, on average, these conditions usually present themselves in two forms:

We can have phobias with a traumatic origin. That is, in the case of hodophobia or fear of traveling could be the cause of a bad experience, such as having been a victim or witness of a terrorist attack while traveling in the past. On the other hand, they can also arise without a specific trigger (non-specific phobias). Although In many cases, there may be genetic, family, environmental or developmental factors. that always lay the foundations for these situations.

How is this type of phobia treated?

Hodophobia or fear of flying is usually associated with other phobias, such as the fear of flying. In more extreme cases we can even find agoraphobic situations. Nevertheless, Something that we often find is that this type of phobia is related to generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).

By this we mean that it is common to encounter complex and very particular situations, hence the importance of a good diagnosis. On the other hand, with regard to the therapeutic approach, it is appropriate to use a multidimensional approach. On the one hand, psychotropic drugs such as anxiolytics may be useful.

On the other hand, in all cases psychological therapy is beneficial and specifically the following strategies:

Progressive exposure to phobic stimuli. Exposure therapy consists of bringing the person closer to those stimuli that generate anxiety to manage emotions and thoughts. This technique always has a higher success rate when it is part of cognitive-behavioral therapy.Cognitive restructuring aimed at combating catastrophic ideas that these people may present. Relaxation and breathing techniques.

In conclusion, It is important not to underestimate fears, especially when they begin to limit our lives.. Every phobia is the result of an anxiety disorder that we must address, otherwise our ability to function normally will be affected.

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