Mental Health Spa Vacationing – Let’s Get Away From Us All

This is the season of vacations, and let’s be honest, no matter who you are or what you do, a break from the demands of your daily existence would be welcome. Interestingly, no matter how glamorous your day job might be, research indicates that when you vacation you want to get as far away from it as you can.

For example, a recent study by psychologists at The University Of Basingstoke revealed that 77% percent of NFL quarterbacks said scrapbooking is their favorite leisure activity, with interpretive dance running a distant second.

Pickpockets, not surprisingly, take a break from the rigors of their job by vacationing in nudist colonies. Without a scrap of temptation to be found they are safe from themselves and can unwind, secure in the knowledge that work is not even an option.

Voyeurs, by contrast, go Polar to relax – North and South – in search of climate so ferociously cold that inhabitants must stay clothed 24/7. Freed from the prison of their pathology they take up residence in the safe, warm expanse of imagination – like the rest of us.

Web-savvy travel & leisure marketers have clutched onto this fascinating concept with entrepreneurial zeal so enthusiastic one might easily mistake it for avarice. The web supplies them with both an endless stream of highly sensitive mental health data and the means to communicate with pinpoint specificity. Thus, if you are a left-handed exhibitionist with a penchant for Edwardian-era hats, expect to see ads reflecting a detailed knowledge of your failings.

But that is just where the fun begins. Today’s guerrilla marketer is assembling “Mental Health Spa” experiential holiday packages, tailored to appeal to the mentally ill person who just wants a little break from being Whackadoomious. For example:

Bipolar? Tired of the wild, rollercoaster ride of highs and lows? A weekend in Switzerland will help – nothing ever happens there. If Switzerland is closed for maintenance, Belgium also serves admirably well.

Morbidly obese? Have we got an idea for you! Two weeks in England – anywhere except London. 14 days of English “cuisine” and you’ll forget why people eat in the first place.

My vacation? Thanks for asking. Well, it certainly won’t involve writing. I’m thinking water balloons.