Travel Therapy: Can a Change of Scenery Heal a Fixated Mind

When most people hear the word travel, they imagine boarding a plane, unfolding a map, or stepping into an unfamiliar city. For those of us who have lived through the storm of limerence that state of obsessive infatuation where every thought circles back to one person travel can take on another meaning. It becomes both a metaphor and a practice for navigating the landscapes of our hearts.

In this book, The Grip of Limerence: Living with Obsessive Love and Finding Freedom, Kiran James describes how limerence can feel like being trapped in a single destination, unable to move forward or turn back. Yet just as travel broadens horizons, breaking free from limerence requires courage, exploration, and the willingness to step into unfamiliar territory.

The familiar trap: staying in one place

When limerence takes hold, it’s as though you’re stuck in a single town where every street leads to the same central square your limerent object (LO). No matter how many times you try to explore, you always end up circling back, replaying conversations, re-reading messages, or checking for online updates.

It feels safe in its predictability. But just as staying in one place for too long can make even the most beautiful city feel suffocating, limerence drains joy from life. The comfort of routine becomes a cage, and your inner compass points only toward one person.

Setting out on the road of self-discovery

Travel teaches us that leaving the familiar is not just about changing scenery; it’s about shifting perspective. The first step in overcoming limerence is often the same: daring to take a step away from the obsessive cycle and onto a new path.

Mindfulness can be thought of as packing light for this inner journey. By learning to notice intrusive thoughts without being weighed down by them, you create space for new experiences. Just as a traveler must choose what to carry and what to leave behind, so too must we choose which thoughts deserve our attention.

Unexpected encounters along the way

Anyone who has traveled knows that the most memorable moments often come unplanned: a conversation with a stranger on a train, stumbling upon a hidden cafe or discovering a breathtaking view you hadn’t expected.

The same is true in recovery from limerence. When we redirect our focus from the LO to our wider lives, we begin to notice new opportunities friendships, hobbies, personal goals that had been hidden in plain sight. These unexpected encounters remind us that life is bigger than obsession.

Navigating turbulence

No journey is free of turbulence. Flights get delayed, maps become confusing, and language barriers test our patience. Likewise, moving through limerence is rarely smooth. There are days when the longing surges back, when memories of the LO seem sharper than ever, or when loneliness feels overwhelming.

But seasoned travelers know that turbulence is temporary. The plane steadies, the road clears, and eventually you arrive at your destination. Understanding that setbacks are part of the process allows us to keep going rather than turn back.

The passport of resilience

Travel stamps our passports with proof that we’ve been places, but it also stamps our character with resilience. Each trip teaches us adaptability, patience, and courage. Overcoming limerence does the same.

Every time you resist the urge to check your LO’s social media, every time you redirect your energy into a hobby, every time you confide in a trusted friend rather than spiral inward you are collecting stamps in your passport of resilience. With time, those stamps tell the story not of obsession, but of growth.

Coming home changed

Perhaps the most profound thing about travel is that even when you return home, you are not the same person who left. Your eyes are wider, your mind more open, and your heart more resilient.

Escaping limerence works in a similar way. The goal isn’t to erase the feelings you once had but to return to yourself with new strength. You come home not to the obsessive cycle, but to a deeper awareness of your needs, your boundaries, and your capacity for genuine love.

The journey continues

Limerence can feel like being stranded in a foreign land where you don’t speak the language. But travel teaches us that confusion eventually gives way to clarity, and fear gives way to discovery. The path out of limerence is not a straight road it’s a journey full of detours, lessons, and moments of wonder.

If you are currently caught in the grip of obsessive love, know this: you are already a traveler. Each step you take away from fixation and toward freedom is a step toward a richer, fuller life.

In this book, The Grip of Limerence: Living with Obsessive Love and Finding Freedom, is a companion for this journey. It offers maps, signposts, and practical tools to guide you through the terrain of limerence toward the freedom you deserve.

Because in the end, limerence is not your final destination. It is just one stop along the way to discovering who you truly are.

You can buy this book on Amazon USA and UK here.