Cabin Fever

     Cabin fever is brought about by the lack of new stimulus to the brain. The "doldrums"— experienced by the sailors of old— during the age of the “square-rigger’s” was what the sailors experienced when they were out sailing on the open sea and lost the potent power of the trade winds to fill their sails.

     Geographically speaking— the Doldrums is an area north of equator: an area with no wind or light variable winds just north of the equator in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, situated between the trade winds.

     The “Trade’s” blew in large circular patterns often these ‘circles’ were opposing in direction while intersecting each other. Sometimes, however, the circles were hundreds of miles apart then more ominously they would be only a few miles away where the sailors—sitting barefoot on the decks of their ships— in the still waters of the “doldrums” could witness the movement of the wind on the water so close yet impossible to reach…Therefore, the sailors would sit on the decks of their great ships sometimes for several weeks before the wind again furrowed their sails.

     The common slang meaning of the term “I am in the doldrums” is that the victim is experiencing a stagnate state of complete inertia and without new stimuli for the brain to feed upon the brain begins to devour itself.

     Stuck in a snow storm, miles from civilization, with roads impassable— after a few days of this one might begin to experience the first symptoms of “cabin-fever”. The affliction— if you want to call it that— of "cabin fever’" happens to everyone— given the proper set of circumstances and enough time. In some ways “cabin fever” could be equated to claustrophobia. Claustrophobia is an irrational fear of being confined or confined within an enclosed space that one cannot escape which is precipitated with the overwhelming urge to flee or escape. Agoraphobia is a psychological condition that is a fear of large open spaces although often associated with the public. The solution for one afflicted with agoraphobia is for one to lock themselves in a room and never venture outside. Then one eventually suffers the condition best described as; "cabin fever".

     How is it that we can treat one affliction with another? Well in truth we cannot, what I meant to say is that there is no solution in doing so. Here again all we are doing is treating the symptoms of the affliction rather than the affliction itself.

     A curious factor in dissecting the word disease takes place when you break the word down into two distinct syllables Dis and Ease consequently if one were to look at the afflictions as a lack of ease or flow in one’s consciousness that is bringing about the affliction then the solution must be self-evident.

     To induce the conditions to bring about the condition known as "cabin fever" will eradicate the condition known as agoraphobia but one will still fear the outside world and now they have a new affliction to deal with.

     Solutions to diseases are not so important, what is of importance is one’s ability or inability to function. This ability to function as well has its problems. One’s ability to simply function is not acceptable to society. If you are able to function successfully then society will just label you as eccentric. However— if you are not successful in your ability to function then you are insane and society will take care of you. If you show any violent tendencies what-so-ever combined with an inability to function then society will lock you up and throw away the key...

     Within society one must function successfully; then no-matter the criteria for his or hers ability to function is in question, no-matter the illness that you may suffer from— In truth you can display many acceptable violent tendencies as long as you retain the ability to function. The symptoms of "cabin fever" usually begin with an aggravation of sorts. This ‘aggravation is brought about sooner if one is in the company of another. This “irritation” is usually accompanied with or precedes a depression and a lack of energy— when a feeling of lethargy consumes the victim.

     The psychological effects of starvation are varied but eventually they are found to be all conclusive, in other words one will experience the complete psychological breakdown of all of their mental facilities along their journey to deaths door.

Happy camping and sailing,