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“Susto” is a culture -bound syndrome “found in Central American populations related to stress engendered by a self-perceived failure to fulfill sex-role expectations.”

HISTORY
Susto, a culture bound syndrome, is known as "soul loss". It is similar to fear or anxiety in Western medicine. It is mainly found in Latin American and Spanish speaking cultures in the United States. Susto is considered a folk condition. Susto is specifically a “fright sickness” with strong psychological overtones. Susto comes from the Portuguese, and Spanish word for “fright” (I.e sudden intense fear, as of something immediately threatening). A more severe and potentially fatal form of susto is called espanto ( also from Spanish and Portuguese, meaning terror or intense fright.)

It is indigenously attributed to “soul loss” resulting from frightful or traumatic experiences. Among Native Indian populations of Latin America, susto may be conceptualized as a case of spirit attack. Women are more likely to experience Susto than men. Occasionally there are children who experience Susto as well.

"Traditional Western medicine has not yet recognized susto but there are some similarities between susto and certain anxiety disorders. "Post-traumatic stress disorderPost-traumatic stress disorderPosttraumatic stress disorder is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma... " and "acute stress disorder," in particular, share many similarities with the condition known as susto. The DSM-IV-TR also states that certain forms of post-traumatic stress disorder are diagnosed more often in cases when symptoms that are characteristic of susto are reported."

CAUSES OF SUSTO

 * "the sudden, unexpected barking of a dog'
 * "being thrown from a horse"
 * "tripping over an unnoticed object"
 * "sharing a hospital ward with a patient who has died during the night (witness a death of any kind)"
 * "having a nighttime encounter with a ghost who keeps your spirit from finding its way back into your body before you wake "
 * "being socially impinged upon by society (e.g., being forced to do something that you do not want to do)"
 * "being in a social situation that causes you to have fear or anger"
 * "losing something valuable"
 * "deserted by someone close"

SYMPTOMS
'Susto' is a culture syndrome that is found and diagnosed more commonly in Latin American Hispanic countries. Some of the symtoms of this syndrome is feeling tired and feelling as a consequence of a sudden fright. More specifically it means that a certain individual cannot function normally in several everyday actions because he or she was frighten and that experience makes them unable to function normally. Even though this might now seem severe, this sudden fright may have occured as long as 30 years "before the emergence of symptoms." The astonshing part to this syndrome is that sometimes the person who was frighten may not experience the consequence of the fright instead that individual's son, daughter, or even another family member may experience the symptoms of 'susto'. Accordign to Albert Gaw,there has not been a single consistent behavior found in an individual to allow someone else to label that person has having 'susto'.

Some symptoms of susto are listless and weak when awake." In addition,people who have Susto are not interested in their personal appearance. Known symptoms of Susto include sleeplessness, loss of appetite, listlessness, apathy, fatigue, depression, and asociality. Anthropologists have not been able to identify a western syndrome that compares to Susto;therefore, it is widely known as a "folk illness."

TREATMENT
There are not many treatments for Susto. When asked was there a treatment for Susto people would say yes curandero which is a healer. The curandero performers a method called barrida (ritual sweeping). He or she is sweeping away the negative vibraciones using a herb. "During the barrida, the patient recounts the details of the frightening event, then lies down on the floor on the axis of a crucifix. The crucifix may be outlined with aluminum foil or other shiny material. The person's body is then brushed with a bouquet of fresh herbs such as basil, purple sage, rosemary or rue, while the curandero and other participants recite prayers. Depending on local custom, the curandero may also jump over the victims's body. This is thought by some to exhort the frightened soul back into the body. " It is usually repeated every three days until the patient is cured.