Susto is a cultural illness, specifically a "fright sickness" with strong psychological overtones. Susto comes from the Portuguese and Spanish word for "fright" (for example Sudden intense fear, as of something immediately threatening). A more severe and potentially fatal form of susto is called espanto (also from Spanish, meaning terror or intense fright). People believe that if a person is suffering from susto, his or her soul is separated from the body Culturally stressed adults (women more o… (More on Susto)