The Concept of Hwa-Byung in Nursing

Khim, Soon Yong

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to study how nurses interpreted the meaning of Hwa-Byung. It was carried through a review of literature, and the result is expected to explore ways that nursing intervention can promote the understanding of Hwa-Byung. The literature review focused on cultural psychology and psychiatrists' views toward Hwa-Byung. After that, it was reconfirmed concept of Hwa-Byung in nursing devived from historical analysis of the examples of Hwa-Byung from a true record of the Cho-Sun Dynasty(CD ROM, 1997). Characteristics of patients with Hwa-Byung include 'Hwa', an aspect of somatization, and self-diagnosing. It also could find that Hwa-Byung is characterized as 'Hwa', 'somatization' and 'self-diagnosis(subjectiveness)' according to a true record of the Cho-Sun Dynasty(CD ROM, 1997). The conceptual definition of 'Hwa', 'somatization' and 'self-diagnosing (subjectiveness)' are as follows. The core concept of Hwa-Byung, 'Hwa,' has the property of 'fire', and equals the feeling of injustice. Hwa-Byung means congestion of 'Hwa'. Therefore Hwa-Byung is the accumulation of being mistreated and mortified. The feeling of mistreatment comes from subjective experiences, which cannot be in harmony with the values, beliefs and rights of the patients. The situations that they have to endure again and again, though they are the sufferers, connote suppressed aggression and powerlessness endured over time. Suppressed aggression subordinated hostility, hatred and revengeful thoughts; powerlessness subordinates frustration, resignation, and fatalism. Somatization is another form of expressing 'Hwa' through physical symptoms. The somatization of clients with Hwa-Byung plays a role in expressing non-verbalized and suppressed emotions within themselves. The clients who experiences Hwa-Byung think that they know the cause of their illness and self-diagnose their problem as Hwa-Byung. Therefore, the feeling of unfairness which is the premise of Hwa-Byung infers 'subjectiveness' In conclusion, nursing's concept of Hwa-Byung is the accumulation of feelings of being mistreated and mortified. Hwa-Byung is the internalized 'Hwa' from enduring again and again. The feeling of being mistreated comes from subjective judgements about unfairness that cannot be harmonized with the clients' values, beliefs and rights. Those who can express their 'Hwa' only through their bodies imply suppressed aggression and powerlessness.