New York Addiction: The 7 Symptoms of New-Yorkitis

A trip to New York can have serious consequences for your health… A curious condition can strike those returning from a stay in New York: “New York fever.” The term first appeared in 2006 during a conversation on the New York Forum, and has since gained traction to the point where it may one day make its way into medical dictionaries. New York fever describes all those particular symptoms that appear following a trip to New York.
What is New York fever? How do you know if you have it? And most importantly, how do you treat it? Dr. Didier, founder of the CNEWYORK site in 1999 and an expert on New York fever within the World Health Organization, has all the answers! 🙂

THE 7 SYMPTOMS OF NEW YORK FEVER

1/ The feeling of emptiness

• New York fever strikes in the hours following your return home from New York with a deep sense of longing. You find yourself wondering what you’re doing at home when you were so happy in New York.
• Here’s a testimonial from Alizaryn on the New York Forum, the first person to be officially diagnosed with New York fever in the history of New York tourism: “I went to New York for the first time in June-July 2005 and fell in love with the city. I actually feel more at home there than here (in Brussels). I don’t even know why—it would be almost impossible to explain. But the fact is, for me, home is New York.”

2/ An irresistible urge to return to New York

• As a direct consequence of this longing, you can think of nothing but going back to New York! This can show up as searches for flight and hotel prices, even if your next New York trip isn’t yet planned.
• Here’s a testimonial from Gaelle83, also from the ForumNY, which perfectly captures the mindset of someone with New York fever: “It’s been 3 and a half months since we got back and we can only think about going again!!!!! We miss New York!!! We think about it every day and we’re planning to go back as soon as possible!”

3/ Your home becomes New York

• If a trip to New York isn’t possible right away, someone with New York fever will recreate the New York atmosphere at home. They’ll redecorate to include all sorts of elements that remind them of New York—from photos to decorative objects. Some will even hang an American flag in their room. In short, New York gradually comes to life at home!
• See this article with photos of homes belonging to people with New York fever.

4/ New York becomes a constant topic of conversation

• Another typical symptom of New York fever: you’ll talk about New York to everyone and all the time. New York becomes a recurring subject in your conversations. You’ll start sentences with: “In New York…” or “When I was in New York…”

5/ Strong sensitivity to news from New York

• New York fever is also marked by a suddenly much more “New York-oriented” mind: your brain will immediately alert you whenever the words “New York” appear, and you’ll be drawn to any information from the Big Apple. If New York is mentioned on the evening news or if a program is about New York, you’ll pay close attention!
• When a program about the American East Coast and New York aired on television, here’s what Loicnice posted on the ForumNY: “Tonight’s program is unmissable.” A typical reaction from someone with New York fever!

6/ Embracing American holidays

• In severe cases of New York fever, you’ll develop a strong connection to American dates. After returning from New York, you’ll think of the United States when you wake up on July 4, American Independence Day.
• You’ll also think of it on Halloween or Thanksgiving. In short, you’ll no longer only remember the national holidays of your home country, but also those of your adopted city.

7/ Spotting New York in everyday life

• Finally, the last known symptom of New York fever: you notice everyday elements that remind you of New York. The best example I found on the forum was from Chriscau, who, barely back home in the Paris suburbs, made a quick trip to the replica of the Statue of Liberty that stands on a small island in the Seine, facing the Radio France building. New York in Paris!

HOW TO TREAT NEW YORK FEVER?

Let’s be clear: New York fever is an incurable condition. Since I launched the CNEWYORK site in 1999, I’ve never seen a single patient recover from New York fever. In fact, some people with New York fever will tell you “why would we want to be cured?” It’s true that New York fever, even though it brings a terrible sense of longing at first, ultimately feels like a genuine passion!
There are, however, a few things you can do to ease the symptoms of New York fever, especially in its early stages:

1/ Plan your next trip

• Since New York fever is cured by a return to New York, why not start planning your next trip gradually? You could create a “New York fund” where you regularly save a little money. If you set aside $1 a day, you’ll save $365 in a year (or $366 in a leap year!). That gets you closer to New York! And you can ask friends and family to contribute…
• The savings fund is exactly the method chosen by Crystal1806, who shared on the forum: “It’s been 10 months since I got back from my second trip and I’ve had New York fever since I got on the plane. I have to wait at least 2 and a half years before I can go back home. I bought myself a nice New York piggy bank—I can’t wait to fill it!”
  Lunabulle also shared this tip on the forum: “My treatment: look at photos often, relive all the amazing memories with my partner, admire my souvenirs… And most importantly: keep a Word document handy where I add any new information for my next trip (not yet scheduled) so I don’t forget anything next time!!!”

2/ Share your experience and photos

• Reading and viewing photos and information about New York will help you extend your trip effectively. For photos, you can browse thousands of images available on our Destination New York Facebook group, created in February 2017.

3/ Talk about New York with other New York fans

• Since you love talking about New York and your friends don’t always follow along, come talk about New York with other New York fans. Join the Destination New York Facebook group and the New York Forum that I created in December 1999: we talk about NEW YORK, NEW YOOORK!! (oh my, the author of these lines is having a New York fever attack…)
• To join the New York Forum, just sign up with a username, email address, and password.
  Nokomi told us back in 2006 on the New York Forum: “This forum lets me talk about New York without boring my friends!” Another testimonial, from Polochimon: “I’m a pharmacy intern in medical biology (the person who runs lab tests) and I come here to maintain or treat, who knows, my chronic New York fever on the forum during my long night shifts!”

As part of this epidemiological study on New York fever, Dr. Didier would be delighted to add your testimonial. Feel free to post a comment on our Facebook page or send us an email if you think you also have New York fever. Tell us your tips for managing your New York fever too. Your testimonials will be added to this medical and eminently scientific article 🙂