Susto
Susto (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈsusto], Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈsuʃtu]) is a cultural illness primarily among Latin American cultures. It is described as a condition of "chronic somatic suffering stemming from emotional trauma or from witnessing traumatic experiences lived by others".[1] Susto is classified as a culture-bound syndrome,[2] a symptom that occurs and is recognized within an ethnic group.[3]
Symptoms[]
Among the indigenous peoples of Latin America, in which this illness is most common, susto may be conceptualized as a case of spirit attack.[4] Symptoms of susto are thought to include nervousness, anorexia, insomnia, listlessness, fever, depression, and diarrhea.[1]
Treatment[]
Treatments among indigenous people are natural. Some natural treatments to susto consist of using plants as medicine; sweating out the toxins; and massaging to encourage blood flow. Prayer is a big part of the treatment of susto. In addition to prayer, healing rituals are also used, some of which include sweeping and giving gifts.
Classification[]
Susto may be a culturally dependent variation of the symptoms of a panic attack, which is distinct from anxiety and depressive disorders.[1]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ a b c Razzouk D, Nogueira B, Mari Jde J (May 2011). "The contribution of Latin American and Caribbean countries on culture bound syndromes studies for the ICD-10 revision: key findings from a work in progress". Rev Bras Psiquiatr. 33 Suppl 1: S5–20. doi:10.1590/S1516-44462011000500003. PMID 21845335.
- ^ Donlan, William; Lee, Junghee (December 2010). "Coraje, nervios, andsusto: Culture-bound syndromes and mental health among Mexican migrants in the United States". Advances in Mental Health. 9 (3): 288–302. doi:10.5172/jamh.9.3.288. ISSN 1838-7357. S2CID 57602592.
- ^ Griffith, Laura (2014-02-21), "Culture-Bound Syndrome", The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Health, Illness, Behavior, and Society, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. 354–356, doi:10.1002/9781118410868.wbehibs189, ISBN 9781118410868
- ^ Castillo, Richard (1997). Culture & Mental Illness: A Client-Centered Approach. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company
Further reading[]
- Rubel, Arthur J (July 1964). "The Epidemiology of a Folk Illness: Susto in Hispanic America". Ethnology. 3 (3): 268–283. doi:10.2307/3772883. JSTOR 3772883. Also published as Chapter 12 in Landy, David, ed. (1977). Culture, Disease, and Healing: Studies in Medical Anthropology. New York: Macmillan Press. ISBN 0-02-367390-7.
- Susto: The context of community morbidity patterns
- Rubel, Arthur J; O'Nell, Carl W; Collado-Ardon, Rolando (1991). Susto A Folk Illness. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520076341.
- O'Neil, Dennis. "Explanations of Illness". Medical Anthropology. O'Neil. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
- Anthropology
- Culture-bound syndromes
- Latin American culture
- Superstitions of the Americas