What is an ataque de nervios?

Objective: Ataque de nervios (“attack of nerves”) is an illness category used frequently by Hispanic individuals to describe one or more particular symptom complexes. A review of the literature on ataque suggested some overlap with panic disorder.

How is ataque de nervios treated?

Treatment. Ataque de nervios is often treated as panic disorder or another anxiety disorder. Cognitive-behavioral therapy helps clients learn to recognize and stop their triggering thoughts, as well as use coping skills to work through an attack once it begins.

How is ataque de nervios diagnosed?

Key features that distinguish ataque de nervios from panic disorder include a more rapid onset of attack, being preceded by an upsetting event in one’s life, and greater fears of losing control, going crazy, depersonalization, sweating, and/or dizziness (Lewis-Fernandez et al., 2002; Liebowitz, Salmán, Jusino, & …

Where did ataque de nervios originate?

History. Ataque de nervios was first mentioned in Puerto Rico by US military psychiatrists who observed a young Puerto Rican experiencing unusual illness.

Is ataque de nervios a culture-bound syndrome?

These syndromes are proposed to be bound to certain cultures and distinct from other psychological disorders. Included among the syndromes are ataques de nervios (ADN), which are reported to be bound to the Hispanic culture and closely resemble panic attacks.

What is a culture-bound illness?

Culture and Psychiatry A culture-bound syndrome is a collection of signs and symptoms that is restricted to a limited number of cultures by reason of certain psychosocial features. Culture-bound syndromes are usually restricted to a specific setting, and they have a special relationship to that setting.

What causes Nervios?

Ataques de nervios frequently occur as a direct result of a stressful event relating to the family (e.g., death of a close relative, separation or divorce from a spouse, conflict with spouse or children, or witnessing an accident involving a family member).

What’s a nervous breakdown?

The term “nervous breakdown” is sometimes used by people to describe a stressful situation in which they’re temporarily unable to function normally in day-to-day life. It’s commonly understood to occur when life’s demands become physically and emotionally overwhelming.