It is also common within expatriate communities who are not used to walking around and saying hello to the same people once or twice a day. People who suffer from island fever at an acute level will often cite the feeling of being trapped or confined to limited space and could be linked to human capital flight, also known as brain drain. However, there's a relevant number of native islanders who report having felt disconnected and isolated from the rest of the world in their homeland. It's an uncomfortable feeling that someone who lived his or her life, for example, in California, might feel when visiting Hawaii for the first time. Island fever is a symptom that is quite common among people who didn't grow up on an island, isle, archipelago, or atoll, and similar to cabin fever. The trigger can be acknowledging that they're standing on a limited territory surrounded by ocean and water for more or less time.īut is island fever something that happens to non-islanders, or is it something that islanders experience as well? The concept is associated with the Hawaiian islands - the Pacific Ocean archipelago is one the most remote and isolated landmasses on Earth. It Affects Islanders and Mainlanders Alike The size of the island also plays a relevant role in the disorder.Īctually, as a general rule of thumb, the size of the island is inversely proportional to how quickly island fever will hit you. It's a sense of disconnection from the world and the lack of activities, family members, close friends, intellectual stimulation, amenities, and cultural and social diversity.īut proximity to the shoreline is not the only cause of island fever.

It is a claustrophobic feeling that can also be triggered by being close to the coastline. It's a psychological distress, dysfunction, or disorder that causes significant stress, abnormal thoughts, and feelings in people that are temporarily or permanently staying or living on islands. What is the meaning, and how do you define island fever, also known as rock fever? They start feeling anxious, irritated, desperate, and claustrophobic.ĭepending on the circumstances, they begin to suffer from more or less severe island fever. Some people don't particularly enjoy living or staying on an island, surrounded by water, for more than a few days or weeks. Have you ever felt that you are stuck and boxed in on an island and want to move away to the mainland? Here's what you should know about island fever.

Whats cabin fever