Blogpost #3: Windigo Psychosis and Other Culture Bound Disorders

   A lot of us are familiar with the disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, and dementia because these disorders are very common. And is experienced throughout the nation and all over the globe. But in this blogpost, I will introduce several disorders that will shatter your innocence about culture bound disorders.

   Culture bound disorders or also known as culture specific disorders or folk illnesses are the disorders that only a specific culture can develop or obtain . These disorders might be similar in many cultures but have different names.

   In an article that I've read that was entitled, "Conceptions of Mental Illness: Cultural Perspectives and Treatment Implications" from the website www.fcas.nova.edu which was written by Lena Hall. More than 30 culture-bound disorders or folk illnesses have been reported in the clinical and research literature. However only a few receive the most attention and are well known. And it included Windigo Psychosis. Windingo Psychosis is a culture-bound syndrome of obsession for human flesh and it involves disgust for ordinary food and feelings of depression and anxiety, leading to possession by the witiko spirit (a giant man-eating monster) and often resulting in homicide and cannibalism. It occurs among Canadian Indians and has been construed as a severe form of starvation anxiety. If a cure is not reached, the witiko sufferer often pleads for death to avert his cannibalistic desire.

   Other disorders are "Amok" (involves wild behavior in a limited duration), "Brain fag" (involves problems in academic learning), "Koro" (involves the sensation that one's penis is retracting into the abdomen and the belief that when fully retracted, death will result), Ghost Sickness (involves weakness and dizziness resulting from the action of witches and evil forces) and many more.

   According to Andrew Colman in his book, Dictionary of Psychology: "Culture-bound syndromes are patterns of behavior that do not fit accordingly into normal classifications of mental disorders. They are entirely or mainly restricted to particular cultural groups."

   Different cultures have different perspectives in which specific practice or thing is acceptable or not. For example, in the Philippines it is normal and acceptable to kiss the hand of your elderly which is also called as "mano" while in other countries it is not. Every culture has its own disorders that are different to one another but can also be similar. That are not considered as universal that is why they are called culture bound disorders.

   In another article entitled, "Introduction to Culture-bound Syndromes" from the site mnstate.edu written by Ronald C. Simons. Culture bound disorders are really complex but it also teaches us a lesson. In considering the situation of a suffering human being, especially if the goal is to remove or cure that suffering, it is vital to consider not only the physiology, but also culturally significant beliefs and practices.

   According to Dr. Simons, "In theory, culture-bound syndromes are those folk illnesses in which alterations of behavior and experience figure prominently. In actuality, however, many are not syndromes at all. Instead, they are local ways of explaining any of a wide assortment of misfortunes."

   Culture bound disorders are not necessarily disorders. These are the products of a certain strong belief of something such as Windigos that's why when someone breaks a taboo of eating human flesh, they consider that someone to be possessed by windigo and diagnose him with windigo psychosis. Its normal to their culture but not to the other  cultures, that's why they've included it as a culture-bound disorder.