Manifesto In Mexico

It is explained in Cultural Formation, a section found in the DSM-5, that the “understanding of the cultural context of illness is essential for the effective diagnostic assessment. (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 789).” Cultures have different terms to express psychological distress, a good example is the Cambodian term for depression thela tdeuk ceut , which translates to the water in my heart (Singh, 2015). Not only does the terminology differ depending on the culture, different syndromes can be culturally bound. Such a culture-bound syndrome is susto which appears in different Latin-American country’s and within the Latin-American population in the U.S.
Susto, translates to “fright”, “scare”, or “terror” in English. In Latin-America it is considered a folk-illness, not recognized by doctors. Susto is “linked to major depressive disorder,
The treatment for susto is to force the spirit back into the body, the article, Regional Variation in Latino Description of Susto, does not explain what method is used. Other treatments include messaging of the head, praying, and sweeping of the body (barrida) with pine or rue (ruda). Among indigenous populations in Guatemala, the symptoms of susto are decreased appetite, fever, swelling of the face and hands, and apathy. The treatment involves rituals to help expel the memory of the frightening experience and rescuing the ravina (the heart spirit) from the location where the frightening experience took place (Weller, et al., 2002). Lastly, among Mexican-American in Texas, what is necessary for susto is a personal or social stressor, not necessarily a frightening experience. Symptoms of susto are listlessness and loss of appetite. The treatment is similar to that of Mexico, only that a curandera(o) which performs the ritual of sweeping the body (barrida) while speaking with the person about what is causing the