Falling-out is a
culture-bound syndrome
In medicine and medical anthropology, a culture-bound syndrome, culture-specific syndrome, or folk illness is a combination of psychiatric and somatic symptoms that are considered to be a recognizable disease only within a specific society or c ...
reported in
Latin America
Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
and the
Caribbean
The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
and usually brought on by stress.
Nervous attack (ataque de nervios) or fainting
Falling-out is a cultural concept of distress,
which is the
DSM-5
The ''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition'' (DSM-5), is the 2013 update to the '' Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'', the taxonomic and diagnostic tool published by the American Psychiat ...
's updated version of
culture-bound syndrome
In medicine and medical anthropology, a culture-bound syndrome, culture-specific syndrome, or folk illness is a combination of psychiatric and somatic symptoms that are considered to be a recognizable disease only within a specific society or c ...
. Ataque de nervios is primarily reported in
Latin America
Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
and the
Caribbean
The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
. It is described as a constricted consciousness as a psychological response to anxiety and specific stressors.
Common symptoms
A few symptoms that have been reported are attacks or fits of crying, verbal or physical aggression, uncontrollable shouting, trembling, and the feeling of heat rising throughout the body.
Individuals who consistently experience these episodes can feel it coming. It normally consists of feeling lightheaded, dizzy, unsteady when standing, and experiencing changes in vision.
Possible causes
In most cases, ataques de nervios are directly related to stress and family, such as divorce, death of a loved one, or witnessing/experiencing a traumatic event.
The medical term for fainting, or ataques de nervios, is
syncope, which happens when the brain does not receive enough oxygen and there is a brief decrease of blood flowing to the brain. Situational syncope occurs when situations affect the nervous system, such as anxiety, fear, pain, dehydration, hyperventilation, and the use of alcohol or drugs.
The body falls to the ground when one faints or has a blackout because it makes it easier for oxygenated blood to reach the brain.
Possible treatments
Ataque de nervios has been treated as a panic or anxiety disorder, and is treated with
cognitive behavior therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that aims to reduce symptoms of various mental health conditions, primarily depression, PTSD, and anxiety disorders.
Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on challenging and changi ...
. This method of treatment helps the individual identify what is triggering their episodes, which gives them an idea of what they need to avoid. In addition, cognitive behavior therapy will provide individuals with coping mechanisms to use while their episode is occurring. If an individual feels like they are about to faint during their episode, the best preventative approach is to lie down with their legs elevated above their head, or to squat down on their heels.
See also
*
Conversion disorder
Conversion disorder (CD) was a formerly diagnosed psychiatric disorder characterized by abnormal sensory experiences and movement problems during periods of high psychological stress. Individuals diagnosed with CD presented with highly distressin ...
*
Greyout
A greyout is a transient loss of vision characterized by a perceived dimming of light and color, sometimes accompanied by a loss of peripheral vision. It is a precursor to fainting or a blackout and is caused by hypoxia (low brain oxygen level ...
*
Non-epileptic attack disorder
References
Culture-bound syndromes
Culture of the Caribbean
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Culture of Latin America
{{abnormal-psych-stub