제 13 호 How to Deal with a “Syndrome?”
Syndrome Flood Era & Syndromes to Pay Attention to
Kicker: LIFE (SYNDROMES)
How to Deal with a “Syndrome?”
Syndrome Flood Era & Syndromes to Pay Attention to
By Sol-Hyang Park, Editor-in-chief
"I think I'm burnout..." At some point, the word 'burnout' appeared and began to be used as a daily word. Burnout syndrome is a phenomenon in which a person motivated to work complains of extreme physical and mental fatigue and becomes lethargic. It's not taken as seriously as a disease, but it's definitely a common phenomenon for many people. This kind of syndrome is increasing exponentially day by day. Bluebird syndrome, Adonis syndrome, Baron Asura syndrome… etc. - The names are also very diverse.
What Is “Syndrome?”
Syndrome is a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality or condition according to Webster's Dictionary. It is easy to understand considering the difference from disease. To put it simply, syndrome refers to a set of symptoms that are hard to define the definite cause, while a disease refers to a symptom that has a clear cause. For example, suppose you have a severe fever, runny nose and cough. In this case, it becomes a syndrome if the cause is unclear, but it becomes a disease called a “cold,” if it turns out to be a cold virus.
Syndrome Flood Era
In the early 1900s, about 30 syndromes were registered in the medical dictionary - but now it is estimated that there are thousands of types. Including syndrome in non-medical fields, it is expected to be approximately tens of thousands of types. Why do the syndromes keep increasing and getting talked about by many? Many mental health specialists come up with the following opinions.
Firstly, it is a means of expressing modern mental pain such as stress and anxiety. At work, at home on holidays, at school…, there are various situations in which modern people suffer mental pain. It is difficult to explain all of the stress and psychological conditions as psychiatric diseases such as depression. However, it is clear that certain symptoms are experienced at a certain time - so these situations are described as "Burnout syndrome," - "Holiday syndrome," "Go-sam (high school senior) syndrome," "Christmas syndrome." They say that people may want to express their difficulties by making plausible words.
Second, it is also used as a means of obtaining self-comfort. The words like "depression" or "Schizophrenia" have a great sense of prejudice and rejection. That's why people tend to express weak symptoms as a syndrome. People may try to match their mind's symptoms to various syndromes like light psychological tests and get comfort by thinking, "Oh, I just have a syndrome rather than mental illness."
Syndromes to Pay Attention to
So which of the numerous syndromes is a reliable syndrome? Of course, as mentioned earlier, it is difficult to say that the causes are obvious because a syndrome is not a clear disease. However, some syndromes may be early symptoms leading to other mental disorders, so it is necessary to look carefully. Regardless of the scope of the syndrome, I will introduce a representative syndrome with some medical basis.
- Syndromes that can be seen as disease symptoms despite unclear origins
Pinocchio Syndrome : When ridiculed in a crowded place, the whole body hardens like a wooden doll. They are overly worried that they will be seen as a boring or unfriendly person. It can be a kind of social phobia. It can be seen if they have been bullied, or have not learned well in the process of forming bonds with parents in their childhood.
Wristcut Syndrome : Whenever they feel worthless, doubt whether they are alive, or feel extremely angry, they draw their wrists repeatedly. They feel pain and aliveness, looking into the wound. It can be one of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder. Mostly found in 10-30s, it can be seen If they have not been properly cared for by parents as a child, have been psychologically hurt while growing up, or they may feel anxious about their existence.
- Syndromes medically named
Capgras Syndrome : They believe that friends, family, etc. have been changed to different people who only look the same. It is common in men in their 20s. It can usually appear when you have schizophrenia, dementia or if the temporal cortex for facial recognition is damaged due to accidents.
Ex). <Doctor>: Who did you come to the hospital with today?
<Patient>: A swindler who looks just like my wife.
<Doctor>: Then where is your real wife?
<Patient>: She will be locked up in the house of a swindler pretending to be my wife.
(Of course, the wife who came with the patient is undoubtedly the real wife.)
Cotard’s syndrome : They don't think they exist, believing they are dead or there is no part of their body, such as blood or organs. Therefore, there is a deep sense of despair and disgust for oneself. It can be a symptom of hypochondria, depression or schizophrenia in the elderly aged 65 or older.
In addition, there are many other syndromes that can lead to diseases, so if you have any abnormal symptoms, it is recommended to look for them.
How to Care?
If you think you have a syndrome, is it okay to skip it lightly or consider professional treatment?
First of all, it is difficult to determine as a mental illness just because you have a syndrome because it varies by the people. For example, in the case of wristcut syndrome, it can be a response due to temporary stress for someone, while for someone else it can be a reaction caused by delusional disorder, thinking "there are bad bugs in my blood, so I have to bleed out the bugs."
However, if you think you have a severe syndrome, it is better to get a diagnosis. This is because it is possible to prevent the syndrome from developing into diseases only when prior measures are taken.
If it is not severe, you should make efforts to prevent worsening symptoms. It is recommended to try meditation, psychological education, and yoga etc. that manage stress and calm oneself. Exercising or finding a hobby that you can be immersed in would also be a good idea.
Whatever it is, it is important to make your own way to relieve stress.
Above all, you should keep a healthy mind to prevent developing a syndrome, which is a mind problem. I hope you will always maintain your mental health by doing meditation, exercise, hobbies or your own stress relief methods that shake off negative thoughts.
Sources :
https://health.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/02/10/2015021001948.html
https://health.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2015/02/10/2015021001583.html
https://www.healthline.com/health/capgras-syndrome
