Paris syndrome

When Paris syndrome (French syndrome de Paris, Japaneseパリ 症候群Pari shōkōgun ) is called a temporary mental disorder that usually encountered in Japanese stay in Paris. It is a culture- bound syndrome similar nature is like Stendhal and the Jerusalem syndrome, but not a recognized diagnosis ( according to ICD -10 or DSM -IV). The trigger of the Paris syndrome is considered the strong difference between the expectations of the tourists and the reality of the city.

History

The basis of the concept of Paris syndrome ( Pari shōkōgun ) afforded the Paris based Japanese psychiatrist Hiroaki Ota, who the book Pari shôkôgun published in 1991 and in 1986 the first people diagnosed with the syndrome. Youcef Mahmoudia, physician at the Hôtel- Dieu de Paris, came to the conclusion, the Paris syndrome is a psychopathological manifestation that was more involved in the journey than with the traveler. His theory brings all the excitement that triggers the visit to Paris, an increase in heart rate, which leads to shortness of breath and dizziness, hallucinations which arise like the Stendhal syndrome.

Frequency

The number of cases per year is not accurately detected. In the coverage of the syndrome are the numbers 12-100 cases per year. The Japanese embassy in Paris says 20-24 " serious cases " per year.

In the article Les Japonais en voyage pathologique à Paris. Un modèle original de prize en charge transculturelle, the 2004 French psychiatry magazine appeared Nervure the authors, including Ota, a number of 63 patients between 1988 and 2004 called Of these, 63 patients were 34 women and 29 men between 20 and 65 years of age, with 50 % are between 20 and 30 years old were.

According to Ota especially Japanese women are affected in their thirties. The syndrome is not limited to tourists: In an article from 2005 Ota mentioned that 73% of patients were young women who have low motivation to learn the French language, however, can live through the financial support of her family in Paris. Even young women from these family backgrounds who want to study with " romantic notions " about art history in Paris, fall into this pattern.

Between 700,000 and one million Japanese visit Paris per year and 20000-25000 Japanese live in Paris, which are available from other sources, however, also called 28,000 Japanese residents. In 2004, 14,000 Japanese residents of Paris reported to the Consulate, where it was assumed that " other thousands " who were not registered at the consulate.

1996 20,060 Japanese lived in France, 9,012 of them in Paris.

Symptoms

The Paris syndrome is characterized by some psychological symptoms: acute mania, hallucinations, paranoia (perception of being a victim of prejudice, aggression or hostility to be by others), derealization, depersonalization, anxiety and psychosomatic manifestations such as dizziness, tachycardia, or sweating.

The values ​​differ. So reported Yoshikatsu Aoyagi, Consulate leader of the Japanese Embassy in Paris, in October 2006 by two women who believed their hotel room was bugged and against a conspiracy was directed; a man who was convinced he was Louis XIV, and a woman who believed that she would attacked with microwaves.

Trigger

The article Les Japonais en voyage pathologique à Paris: un modèle de prize en charge original transculturelle described the combination of four factors as a trigger for the Paris Syndrome:

• Language barrier: Only a few Japanese speak French and a few French speak Japanese. This seems to be the main reason and condition the remaining factors.
• Cultural differences: Not only is there a big difference between the languages ​​, but also in the gestures and facial expressions. In contrast to the severe stresses polite manners of the Japanese to French behavior often informal, which is perceived by the Japanese as unfriendly. The fast and frequent changes in language and behavior, particularly in terms of humor, represents the biggest problem dar. Mario Renoux, the president of the French- Japanese Medical Society, described in an AP article the "aggressive impatience and de [ s ] direct humor of the French " as intimidating.
• The idealized image of Paris: There is a risk that visitors are unable to bring the popular Japanese image of Paris with the reality into harmony.
• Fatigue: Due to the overcrowding of one's time and energy, be it on a business trip or on vacation, it comes to mental destabilization of some visitors. When trying to experience as much as possible during their stay in Paris, they take up. In addition the effects of jet lag are added.

Renoux mentioned in an article in the daily newspaper Libération Japanese magazines as primarily responsible for the development of the syndrome. Renoux indicates that in Japanese media (but especially in magazines) described Paris as a place where most people on the street look like models and most women wear clothes of the brand Louis Vuitton. In another report, he was quoted concerning the Japanese view of Paris as:

"Ils le voient of Années folles Montparnasse, Manet, Renoir, et des Parisiennes habillées comme des gravures de mode. "

" [ The Japanese ] see the Montparnasse of the Roaring Twenties, Manet, Renoir and Paris, who are dressed as fashion dolls. "

Other factors could be idealizing films like The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie, which represent Paris romanticized. The number of visitors of the film in theaters in Japan stood at 1.3 million people, making Japan the world in visitor numbers at the position 6. In addition, some Japanese television and film celebrities live in Paris.

Treatment

In milder cases, the Paris syndrome is treated by bed rest and hydration, in more severe cases by staying at a clinic (25 % of cases) and the journey home. In a quarter of cases treated the Japanese embassy, an immediate trip home is necessary. In 2011, there were at least six cases in which the message of a home under medical supervision had cause. The message offers a hotline with respect to the Paris Syndrome, which is available 24 hours a day.

According to statements of Mahmoudia happens after the treatment, " one-third better immediately, a third suffer relapses and the rest gets psychoses ".

In 2006, Yoshikazu Sekiguchi in Paris an offshoot of the non-governmental organization greenbird, it has taken on the task to clean cities. Would Sekiguchi stated that the green birds want to " make Paris more attractive ", meaning " against the Paris Syndrome" help.

Reception

Criticism

An editorial in the Japan Times criticized the relatedness of the study at Japanese tourists and saw the question unresolved why the syndrome specifically auftrete in Paris and not in " New York or Mexico City." Concluded the article: " Even if Paris a handful of mentally vulnerable Japanese travelers sends to the doctor, it seems an exaggeration, their afflictions to be labeled as syndrome " ( "Even if Paris does send a handful of fragile Japanese travel travelers to the doctor, It Seems a stretch to label Their affliction a syndrome. ").

In the article " Say Cheese! " By Lauren Collins in the magazine The New Yorker, these dealt with the Paris syndrome and a possibly analogous to the existing New York 's syndrome. They quoted Howard Sigman, a consular official of the Japanese Consulate in New York. This indicated that he did not believe in the Paris syndrome or " New - York - load ". In his view, the cases that have to do with the culture shock with the Japanese embassy in Paris are, " usually the result of a pre-existing mental illness ."

The Science Blog Neurobonkers presented on the assumption that there could be a case of illusory correlation due to the small number of patients. It went from a rate of 12 patients from one million Japanese visitors per year and compared this with the rate of people who are experiencing in their lives once a schizophrenische episode, which is the equivalent of 7,000 sufferers per one million people.

The blog royal with cheese described the use of the name Paris syndrome for two different cases. At the beginning this was in Japanese who lived in Paris, applied. The media and doctors like Youcef Mahmoudia and Mario Renoux, however, it would then related to Japanese tourists. The author doubted the syndrome character of the Paris syndrome and wrote that it was " no more than the Ventilatortod in Korea " was.

Columnist AA Gill of The Sunday Times called jokingly Rome as a cure for Paris Syndrome.

Culture

The French writer Philippe Adam wrote a book entitled Le Syndrome de Paris, which was released in 2005. It describes the history of an intern the Japanese Embassy in Paris, who is struggling with the Paris syndrome. The book was made ​​into a film in 2008 by the Japanese director SAE Shimai. Also the film Mimi no Nikki dealt with the topic of Paris syndrome. The film was released in 2012 and deals with the life of a young Japanese woman in Paris.

In addition, there are two documentations of the Paris syndrome. John Menicks " Paris Syndrome" was published in 2010 and is described by the latter as " short, film essay ". The documentary is 27 minutes long. 2012 published Raphael George his nine minute documentary " Le Syndrome de Paris " in which the symptoms of the syndrome describes and Pierre Rameau, physician at the Hôpital Sainte -Anne, the syndrome explained.

The artist Jun Yang designed the Museum of Contemporary Art Café Paris Syndrome, as well as a hotel room, which he titled with Hotel Paris syndrome. The Paris Syndrome opened in December 2010 and meets such as the café, the syndrome to the extent that original French -looking pieces of furniture and photographs are only replicas and thus the difference between expectation and reality is presented.