Rock fever

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Rock fever and island fever are colloquial terms for a form of mental distress said to mainly inflict mainlanders who move to isolated islands, especially any of the Hawaiian islands or Guam. [1] [2] It is not a medical term or classification and has not been the focus of any serious research. It has been described as "an ailment" of feeling "stifled by [the island's] size and isolation", making its sufferers "anxious, irritated, desperate, and claustrophobic." [3] [4] It is often ascribed to homesickness. [5] Rock fever has also been described as a feeling of isolation that could arise in any isolated place and afflict anyone, including native inhabitants. [6]

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References

  1. Schubert, Gerald; Bercovici, David (March 11, 1997). "Bercovici Receives Macelwane Medal". Eos. 78 (11): 108. doi: 10.1029/97EO00070 . Although I was often warned about the isolation of living in Hawaii. That is the infamous 'rock-fever,' I have personally never felt it. The awesome beauty of my home state never ceases to amaze me, and I always miss it enormously when I travel.
  2. Rogers, Robert F. (30 June 2011). Destiny's Landfall: A History of Guam, Revised Edition. doi:10.1515/9780824860974-016. For years, Guam would be the butt of jokes in the United States as an uninviting place, where boredom led to "rock fever," a cranky longing to get off the island.
  3. "Rock Fever". Metro. 8 December 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  4. "What is island fever?". SurferToday.com. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  5. Saturday, Rita De Silva (26 March 2016). "No 'Rock Fever' for those who truly love Kauai". The Garden Island.
  6. "ABA Journal". American Bar Association Journal. 75. Aug 1989. ISSN   0747-0088.