Windigo Psychosis

    Windigo Psychosis is a culture-specific disorder of Canada, defined by delusions that one is being transformed into a monster called a windigo, or wittigo. The windigo is a cannibalistic spirit from Algonquin mythology that has the ability to possess the bodies of humans.

    A sufferer of Windigo Psychosis has an insatiable craving for human flesh. The urge is so strong that the sufferer will crave human flesh, even when other foods are available for consumption. They start to see the people around them as being edible.

    This craving for flesh, however, is accompanied by the exaggerated fear of becoming a cannibal. So, as can be assumed, sufferers experience agitation, depression, and fears about the loss of control over these sadistic impulses. To be more specific, sufferers have a fear of becoming Windigo monsters. Windigo monsters are supernatural beings that eat human flesh.

   
    The disorder was first identified by the Northern Algonkian Aboriginals. It was first identified in the winter because families were isolated by snow for months at a time, and resulting in inadequate food supply. The symptoms of this disorder reflect this condition: poor appetite, nausea, and vomiting. Alongside this, the individual has the idea that he or she has turned into a Windigo monster. The extreme anxiety that inevitably comes with this disorder causes victims to sometimes attempt suicide to prevent transformation into the Windigo monster.

    There has been no evidence to suggest that Windigo Psychosis has a cure. In rare cases, treatment by religious healers and Western medicine has shown to be effective, but nothing has shown consistent results.