This lady told me she’s been having cramps and stomach pains. She went to the doctor, and he asked her if she was married. She explained that her

Husband left her a few weeks ago, and the doctor said that was the problem... because she wasn’t having sex with her husband.

This happened in West Africa. I actually heard about this type of belief in anthropology class. It’s an example of what anthropologists call culture bound syndromes. These are health conditions or explanations for illness that are specific to certain cultures.

There are psychological and physical diseases that exist in some cultures but not in others. For example, ADHD is extremely rare in West Africa compared to the United States. It’s very puzzling people in different cultures can experience different sicknesses and mental health issues.

ninalanyon · 61-69, T

It’s very puzzling people in different cultures can experience different sicknesses and mental health issues.

Not really. We are all social animals and what others expect of us has an effect on our own behaviour and beliefs. And of course lack of diagnosis is not the same as lack of incidence. Or to put it another way: absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.