From Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia.
Hwabyung (화병,火病),
literally "fire illness", is a
mental disorder which is said
to be peculiar to
Koreans, typically elderly
women. The illness manifests as
one or more of a wide range of
physical symptoms, in response to
an emotional disturbance, perhaps
brought about by stress, such as
might result from troublesome
interpersonal relationships or
life crises. Cultural tradition
requires that Koreans (and
especially women) refrain from
openly expressing powerful
emotions, and it is believed that
Hwabyung might be related to the
internalization of anger.
Sufferers might report such
symptoms as; a heavy feeling in
the chest, perceived abdominal
mass (previously thought to define
the illness, but now believed to
be untypical),
sleeplessness, hot flushes,
cold flushes and blurred vision.
Sufferers might also
demonstrate typical neurotic
symptoms such as anxiety states,
depression and
obsessive-compulsiveness, as well
as
anorexia, expressions of
hatred, shame, paranoia or
fearfulness, destructive
impulsiveness, absent mindedness
and irritability.
Western doctors are likely to
diagnose stress reaction and
depression.
It is thought that Hwabyung
might serve to provide sufferers
with a way to conceptualize and
resolve emotional distress through
somatization.
It is called Ul-hwa-byeong(鬱火病)
in South Korea. It was registered
in the psychiatry department
society in the
United States as one of the
Culture-bound syndromes in
1996.
