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48ALTERNATIVETHERAPIESsepoct2011VOL.17NO.5HaitianVodouasaHealthCareSystemaretwotypesofcases.Inthe1rstthesickpersonhasneglectedhisorherresponsibilitiestowardstheancestorsandthefamilylwa.HeorsheisguiltyofneglectingoravoidingtherelationstowhichallHaitiansarenormallysubject.Thecultoftheancestorsandlwawhoresideatthefamilyhomeandlandsisimplicatedinsuchcases.Illnessistheconsequenceofawrongdoingandcan-notberemediedwithouttheassistanceofthosewhocausedit.Inotherwordsthefamilylwaandtheancestorsarethecauseoftheaf2ictionitistheresultofafailuretoobservetheproperdevo-tionsandritualsintheirhonourandthesickaretheauthorsoftheirownfatewhentheyarematureenoughinageand1nan-ciallytopaytheirfamilydebt.Inordertobecuredthesickmustnegotiatetheirrecoverywiththeirlwaandancestorsrelationsmustbesmoothedoverortheymustattendtotheirtiestothem.Inadditiontonaturalremediesfortreatingthesymptomsthetreatmentconsistsinreintegratingthesickwithinasocio-familyandsymbolicframe-workwheretheyareunderobligationtotheseentitiesinheritedfromaritualtradition.Thepractitionerx19stherapyisclearlydeter-minedbytheoriginoftheillness.Theprotagonists1rstcallonthelwaandtheancestorsaskingthemforhealing.Theyempha-sizethesickpersonx19scommitmentandcompletedevotiontheymakearequestandthentheysettheconditionsofacontractthateachpartyagreestohonor.Oncethepatienthasbeenhealedaserviceisconductedinthedwellingcharacterizingvodouasacultoflwax0andancestors.Aritualperformanceisorganizedbythesickandhisorherrelativesaroundapropitia-toryritualwithaceremonypledgesof1delityprayerslibationsofferingsandentertainmentdancemusicsongsdrink.Thesecondcasereferstoalwawhoimposesaparticulartypeofrelationshiponanindividual.Thelwacontrolsthatper-sonx19sfateorwell-beingandmakeshiswhimsknownbycausingillness.Heretooneglectmaybepartofthecauseincasesofpeo-plewhohavenottakencareofalwathatwasgiventothemasamaster.Thelwamayhavedemandstowhichthechosenpersonhaslentadeafearandtheyusemisfortunetoremindhimorheroftheirexpectations.Thisisoftensaidtobethecasewhenillnessmakespregnanciesdif1cultorimpossibleorwhenitdisturbsgenderrelationsloverelationsorsexualrelationslackofplea-sureorimpotenceforexample.Illnessesintheseareasoflifeoftendrawconnectionsbetweenindividualresponsibilityandobligationsandtheexpectationsofpersonallwa.Intreatingsuchproblemsthetherapistaddressestheoriginoftheillnessbycreatingarelationalmechanismforsatisfyingthelwaandinvolvingthesickperson.Thesimplestwaytoinvolvepatientsistohavethemwearanobjectclothingaringoraneck-lace1rstendowedwithpowersthatmaterializestheirrelation-shiptotheirlwa.Thisintimateconnectionisalesscostlyvariantofthemysticalmarriagethatvodoupractitionerscontractwithlwawhichbringsthemsocioeconomicbenefitsandmedicalknowledge.Anothertreatmentoptionistoentertainthelwainareservedplace.Abedroommaybesetuporahousebuiltorthelwamaybeplacedinasmallbuffetwithvariousobjectssuchasperfumesdrinksandscarvesthatshowthehostx19sattentionandcaring.Themarriageistransformedintoanindividualworshipcultinwhichtwobeingsareunitedandthelwaishumanized.Thetherapistdrawsinspirationfromsocialconventionsandlovebetweenhumans.ThepractitionerisguidedbythemodelsofmarriageandcommitmentthatexistinHaitiononehandof1-cialweddingscelebratedatchurchwhicharesimpli1edbykeep-ingonlythesymboloftheringoranotherobjectthathasbeenblessedontheotherhandareplicaofcustomarymarriagepla-sajisproposedconsistinginarelationshipthatisnotformalizedbyareligiousorcivilritualoralessformalunioninwhichthelwaismovedintothehomeandtakencareofasonewouldbuildahouseforawomanclotheherfeedherandspoilher.Magicx0andx0Witchcraftx0inx0Explainingx0Illness.Inthesecondlevelofcausalityillnessiscausedbyathirdpartywhouseswitch-crafttoattackthesickpersonforpersonalreasons.Inthiscatego-rythesickpersonisthevictimofmagicalpracticesatthehandsofhisorherrelativesorcontemporaries.Inthislevelofcausalityill-nessscenariosmainlyrefertothecauseandtheagentoftheillness.Therearethreecommonexamplesofsuchattacks.Eitherasoulnmhasbeendirectedatthevictimalwawassenttostrikeorachildwasattackedatnightbyapersonintheformofaninsectorananimalasortofvampirereferredtoasalougarou.Infactthereisnx19tadirectandstrictconnectionbetweenatypeofillnessandcertainsignssymptomsinthediagnosesofvodoupractitioners.Howeversomeindicationscanbeconsideredtopronouncethediagnosis.Indeedasoulcancausepainfeverorothersomaticsymptomsvomitingordiarrheaforexample.Thesesymptomsmaylingervaryinintensityandmovearoundinthebody.Thesevariationsandmovementsprovethepresenceofadynamicandexternalagentinthebody.Sometimestheclini-calpro1leshowsapersonalityandbehavioraldisturbances.Somesoulscanalsorenderthepersonmuteisolatedapatheticoragi-tatedandpreventhimfromeating.Inthiscaseoneconsidersthesickpersonx19sspiritoverpoweredbyanagentwhodisorganizeshispersonalityandrelationshipswithothers.Inanillnesscausedbyalwaattackthevictimisofteninpoorphysicalconditionbecausealwastrikeswithgreatintensi-ty.Itisnotunusualforthesickpersontobebed-riddenandtohavevisionsofananimalcomingtoattackthemthatotherscan-notsee.Finallythelougaoumayprovokediarrheaorvomitingandcauseweightlossinachildpreventinghimfromgrowing.Itsactionsarerecognizedthroughnocturnalspasmsagitationandnightmares.Letustakeasanexampleasoulorsoulssenttoattackaperson.Thisinvolvestheintrusionofavitalprincipleintoabodywhereitcreatesdisordersymptomsandvisibleorinvisiblephysicalsigns.Theseagentsdonotnecessarilyappearinthesameforminallvictims.Insometheymaycausepaininothersfeverandsoon.Theymaycausebehavioraldisorderslossofspeechapathyoragitation.Thediagnosisisanattackbyanx1cevilspiritx1dorthesoulofadeadpersonthatiscausingpersonalitydisorders.Thetherapistmaycallthesemaladix0movsx0sprievilspiritsicknessmaladix0zonbizombiesicknessormaladix0koux0dex0zonbizombieattacksickness.