Cabin fever is a state of restlessness, depression, and irritability caused by prolonged confinement in a small or isolated space. It can have real side effects, and those with mental health issues may be particularly affected. The term dates back to early US settlers and may have been used to describe those confined during ocean crossings or epidemics. It is a problem for those living in areas with long winters, and outdoor activities or changing scenery can help alleviate symptoms.
Cabin fever, while not a real disease as the name suggests, is a state of restlessness, depression, and irritability brought on by a prolonged stay in a confined space or remote, isolated area. Lack of environmental stimulation can have real, tangible side effects that have a detrimental impact on anyone suffering from this problem. There is little documented evidence, but many speculate that those who may already be mentally deranged could be dramatically affected.
Historians speculate that the term cabin fever was first used to describe early US settlers who experienced long winters alone in their log cabins, snowed in until the spring thaw. The term is dated to the 19th century by the American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms and is first recorded in 19, according to the Online Etymology Dictionary. Suffering from this condition is similar to going insane, a term that comes from a mid-19th-century slang term, stir, which meant “jail.” Stir crazy has typically been used to describe the behavior exhibited by prison inmates suffering the effects of a long incarceration.
The origins of the term may also go back to the time of frequent ocean crossings, when people endured the long passage across the Atlantic in small, cramped quarters under the deck of a ship. Also, during epidemics, people were often confined or quarantined in their homes in an effort to prevent their spread. The restlessness and depression could definitely have been the result of one of these situations.
Cabin fever is such a universal affliction that movies and books have dramatized its sometimes terrifying effect on people and their mental state. The Shining by Stephen King is a good example of how isolation can drive a person crazy. The family in the film is holed up in a remote resort hotel, snowed in until spring. Add in isolation, lack of entertainment, and a supernatural presence and insanity ensues. Other story lines have explored how extended space missions can cause similar problems.
In areas of the world where snow piles up all winter, driving people indoors, cabin fever is a real problem. In addition to the long periods of time confined to a small space, the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can make the problem worse. Many people suffer from SAD during the winter months, when sunny days are few and far between, and sink into full-blown depression.
Those particularly susceptible to this problem are children who are confined indoors during rain or cold weather. Stay-at-home moms have also long complained of the isolation they experience when confined to the house without adult interaction. The passive entertainment of television and video games may pass the time, but they don’t provide the active, interactive entertainment that most people crave.
Reading, board games and card games can help, but getting outdoors and exercising may be the only real “cure”. Many people who live in the northern United States cross country, snowshoe or snowmobile as an outdoor activity. Calling a friend or simply trying to change the scenery can also help.
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