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Hwa-byung
"Hwabyung, which means anger (fire) disease, is a culture-related anger syndrome in Korea. The symptoms include a subjective feeling of anger with anger-related bodily and behavioral symptoms. The symptoms seem to symbolize the nature of fire (anger) and its suppression and/or release. According to the patients' explanation, reactive anger, resulting from being a victim of an unfair situation, must be suppressed so as not to jeopardize harmonious family or social relationships. Defense mechanisms related to hwabyung were found to be suppression, inhibition, withdrawal, somatization, and oral consumption."

Hwa-byung is listed in the culture-bound syndromes in the DSM-IV TR.

Characteristics
Hwa-byung (from hwa, meaning fire, and byung,meaning disease) is a Korean folk illness precipitated by a situation that is beyond the power of one’s control. Literally, the term means “an illness of fire.” It is categorized as a Korean culture-bound syndrome and translates to anger syndrome in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition,because its recurrent and specific symptom patterns and pathogenesis do not correspond to a particular diagnostic mental disorder category. The prevalence of hwa-byung is reported to be 4.2% in the general population of Korea and 4.95% among middle-aged Korean women.Hwa-byung is defined as a chronic psychosomatic illness that results from the incomplete suppression of anger or the projection of anger into the body. The emotion of hwa is different from that of anger in terms of its duration. Though anger may be characterized as a one-time emotion, hwa is characterized by an accumulation over a long period of time. Hwa is a complex mix of emotions, including frustration, anxiety, mortification, anger,apprehension, and disappointment, that has physical manifestations.

Origin and Background
"The origin of the word "Hwabyung" is still obscure. There are frequent references to the word Hua-tseung, meaning fire symptoms, in the 18th century autobiography of the wife of the then heir to the throne, Hongssi Haegyeong Gung (1735-1815) "Han Jung Rok." Here the Chinese word is expressed as "Hwatseung." In her book, her husband's sickness was described in the following terms: "He is hardly able to allay his feelings when he is swept by anger"; "His Hwa-tseung is so abrupt," "He became sad after he was treated by his father, King Yeong Jo unjustly and it led to pent-up anger," "His Hwa-tseung has become so acute since June that he has begun to kill people." Thus, the word, "Hwa" or "Hwa-tseung" was used to define an anger syndrome or at least some form of morbid condition. Kim Yong Suk, the author of the "Study of Han Jung Rok" affirmed in a reference to the historical documents of the Jo-Seon (Chosun) Dynasty that there were differing opinions on the nature of the behavior of the ailing prince at the time: the prince himself said he was suffering from Hwabyung; whereas his father, then King Yeong Jo, regarded his condition as 'madness'. The official record described him as losing his genuine nature when the symptoms manifested themselves. Researchers in the field of Korean traditional medicine assumed that there was no clear description of Hwabyung as a separate disease in the Chinese medical literatures. There have been different opinions on how to designate Hwabyung, apart from the Chinese character meaning "fire." Some suggested the use of the Chinese character Hwa meaning "bad luck", instead of the word Hwa, meaning fire. Others insisted on the use of a Korean word without relating it to the Chinese characters. However, the word "fire" seems most appropriate given the fact that it is frequently used to describe anger-induced symptoms in historical records, as well as being used in the Korean dictionary published by the National Academy of the Korean Language."

Cultural Information
Hwa-byung is a illness found in Koren people. Hway-Byung is not being able to control emotions and anger. http://www.learnmax.in/Multicultural-Psychology/352.html

Hwa-byung is a culture-bound syndrome that tends to affect Korean women. Symptoms can include emotional upset, sadness, rage and fear. The underlying cause seems to be unresolved conflicts and retaining emotions internally.

Symptoms
"The symptoms of Hwabyung may vary from mild physical and mental symptoms, including neurosis and somatization, to psychosis and death." "Hwabyung patients were statistically processed and it was found that hot or heat sensation, feeling oppressed, sensations of something pushing-up in the chest and epigastric mass are the four major symptoms, most of which are on the neurotic level of physical symptoms."

Hwabyung can be divided into four stages. "Stage 1 is the period of input. During this period, patient shows a panic response and destructive behavior under furious rage. A feeling of being betrayed, hostility, and murderous intent are the major emotions at this stage. Stage 2 is the period of conflict. During this period, the furious rage decreases and the patient falls into a deep inner struggle. It is during this stage that the patient enters into a typical state of anxiety. Stage 3 is the period of "chenyum" (giving up). During this period, the patient no longer tries to resolve the problem, but accepts the misery as his or her own. Often the patient projects toward the supernatural during this period, and the depressive symptoms become more prominent. Stage 4 is the period of somatization. During this period, somatic symptoms are the major complaints. Somatic symptoms develop in the form of a chronic stress response. At the same time, the depression improves."

Diagnosis
"There are no objective diagnostic criteria in the longitudinal view, because all of the symptoms caused by anger are referred to as Hwabyung. In the cross sectional view, patients complaining of Hwabyung were diagnosed according to the DSM criteria, and somatization disorder, depression and anxiety were the most frequent diagnoses."

Treatment
"Those afflicted with this disorder tend to think that Hwabyung is not easily curable, and they usually rely on various drugs including Chinese-herb medicine. Some of them think there is nothing they can do, as Hwabyung is incurable and, consequently, they just put up with their symptoms. They think of it as a woman's lot and try to endure the suffering without medical treatment. However, case studies conducted on two Korean-American patients with Hwabyung reported that they recovered completely with the administration of an antidepressant combined with supportive psychotherapy and environmental change."