While most psychiatrists diagnose Hwa-Byung as a chronic psychogenic disorder associated with familial, financial and personality, the purpose of study was to shed light on the nature of Hwa-Byung through pragmatics. Hwa-Byung is characterized as ‘ Hwa’ which means fire ‘ Byung’ which means disease. This condition cannot be empirically experienced, rather it is represented by suffering internally (in the mind). It also could find an aspect of somatization, and self-diagnosing.

As patients themselves diagnose Hwa-Byung, pragmatical approach was taken to analyze the context of the learning through their communication with others. The case examples resulted from in-depth telephone counseling with a client who is housewife with Hwa-Byung over a period of time at the Women's Hot Line.

The study showed that the client experienced continuous improper attacks by her husband. She expressed improperness by applying her personal emotions to social-justice reasoning.

‘ Hwa’ means lack of mutual intimacy in this research. By expressing this ‘ Hwa’, the client would like to recover mutual intimacy with her husband.