Grisi Siknis in Relation To Western Medicine
According to the American Psychiatric Association, a Western medical condition similar in many aspects to culturally bound syndromes, particularly the “running” syndromes, of which grisi siknis is part, is dissociative (or psychogenic) fugue. In any fugal state, a person appears normal, but has amnesia or identity forgetfulness. Dissociative fugue is distinguished by impulsive travel and amnesia, identity uncertainty, stress, and impediment to normal social function, all of which must not be influenced by substance intake. It is most often related to intense emotional stress and occurs randomly. However, some argue that “running” syndromes are really not dissociative fugue, and have no proper Western medical classification. Others contend that associating culturally bound symptoms with known ailments severely limits the discovery of new psychiatric disorders in folk culture. Edgardo Ruiz, PhD at the University of Pittsburgh argues that grisi siknis does not correlate with Western scientific cultural perspectives, and the cross-cultural translation of symptoms is an inaccurate device wherewith to understand the disease.
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