What Is Hysteria? Psychology, History, Symptoms And Present-Day Applications
There’s a lot of history surrounding hysteria and a lot of misconceptions about what it means. That’s because hysteria isn’t a term that’s used anymore. At least, not very often. We’re going to talk about what it means and how it differs today from when the term was only applied to females.
Symptoms of hysteria
Let’s take a closer look at some of the symptoms of hysteria related to the older version of the term rather than the current definition.
Women who exhibited these symptoms in the early 1800s or earlier would often be diagnosed with hysteria; it was up to their families to decide how to treat them and what to do about it. For most women, this would mean being treated in an asylum. Some received hypnosis, shock therapy, medication, and more throughout the years this was considered a medical condition.
- Shortness of breath
- Fainting
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Agitation
- Sexual forwardness
- Irritability
- Nervousness
Today, these symptoms are not considered signs of anything inappropriate, but in the 1800s, women were to be seen and not heard, and they were expected to comply with their husbands, brothers, fathers, or other male relatives. For a female to be agitated or irritable was considered highly inappropriate, and the physical manifestations were considered abnormal.
The history of hysteria
In the early 1800s, hysteria was frequently used to describe how women became anxious or nervous. They might have shortness of breath, irritability, or lose interest in food or sex. Just about any out-of-the-ordinary behavior that a woman had during that age would be blamed on female hysteria. They might be outspoken, retain fluids, faint, or just cause trouble for others. As a result, there was substantial control over female behavior during this period.
The idea was that the “wandering womb” was the cause of all of the problems women experienced. As a result, women had hysterectomies to remove the womb and restore sanity. Their families might also put them into insane asylums if their behavior was considered too outrageous to live in a normal society.
Luckily, in the 18th century, doctors and scientists figured out that hysteria is related to the brain and also common in men. In fact, Jean-Martin Charcot believed that it was more common in men. From here, the disease was better researched, and as time passed and we neared the 19th century, the prevalence of cases started to decline instantly. More and more people were beginning to see that hysteria was not, in fact, the reason for the changes these women (and men) were experiencing.
Modern-day hysteria
Hysteria isn’t generally used at all on its own anymore. Rather than discuss female hysteria or refer to women as experiencing hysteria, psychologists recognize a wide range of mental health conditions and the normalcy of many of the supposed symptoms used to diagnose hysteria in the past.
Disorders such as anxiety, conversion disorder, borderline personality disorder, and schizophrenia are known to have hysteria as a component. However, this hysteria is not defined in the same way it once was.
Dissociative disorders
Many cases of what was previously considered hysteria are now grouped into dissociative disorders, like those that pertain to difficulty in identity and memory. They could include dissociative amnesia and dissociative identity disorder. Some form of dissociation or interruption occurs within the consciousness in these conditions. As a result, the individual struggles with normal cognitive activities and may appear confused or struggle to recall certain events.
Somatoform disorders
These disorders involve physical symptoms without a true cause. Someone might experience symptoms related to a specific illness, but they don’t have the illness. They might also experience symptoms related to different types of injuries without having the injury itself. These disorders include body dysmorphic disorder, conversion disorder, and somatization disorder. There are others, however, that you or someone else could experience within this category. The most important thing is determining if there is a cause for the symptoms and working from there.
The psychology of hysteria
Hysteria, as we know it today, refers to emotional excitability or disturbances related to the body's psychogenic, vasomotor, visceral, or sensory functions. In simple terms, it means that someone experiencing hysteria will express excessive, unmanageable, or overwhelming emotions that could be either positive or negative. As a result, the individual may have inappropriate outbursts, which can happen during grief, excitement, anger, or any emotion.
We know that the treatment methods for these symptoms are entirely different from what they once were. Science has shown that the methods used to treat female hysteria in the 1800s were ineffective. Today, treatment focuses on the over-arching disorder rather than the hysteria itself.
Patients who experience hysteria as a symptom or side effect typically receive therapy and medication to assist them. Medication focuses on helping to mitigate different side effects, including hysteria, and might allow the patient to control their emotions more fully. Therapy focuses on the underlying cause of the condition leading to the hysteria. By doing this, the patient can work through the condition, which helps relieve the side effects, including any hysteria they may be experiencing.
Getting help for your mental health
Talking with a mental health professional is a good idea if you’re concerned about hysteria as a side effect of another condition. It will allow you to understand better what you’re going through, and it can help you get back to the life you want to live. One way to connect with someone who can help you is through online therapy.
With online treatment, you can get the support you want from the comfort of your home. Online therapy might be a good way to go if you’ve tried therapy before and didn’t like it. You don’t have to commute to an office or sit on a waiting list until an available appointment opens up. With online treatment, you can have sessions through your phone, tablet, laptop, desktop computer, or any other internet-connected device, and you can attend sessions from anywhere you have an internet connection.
Moreover, research shows that online therapy is effective, with one review of 14 studies finding no differences in effectiveness between online and in-person treatment. If you’re ready to learn more, take the next step with Regain.
Takeaway
The definition of hysteria and the ideas around it have changed dramatically; today, it is generally seen as a symptom of dissociative or somatoform disorders that can affect both men and women. If you are experiecing symptoms of hysteria or feel you need to talk to someone about your mental health concerns, online therapy can help.
FAQs
What is an example of hysteria?
An example of hysteria could be someone who has experienced some form of trauma as a child. Let’s say this person was verbally and emotionally abused as a child and now, as an adult, has underlying trauma and PTSD. They may experience spurts of severe anxiety, depression, or anger as post-traumatic stress, trauma, and grief are known to have long-lasting impacts that can hit quite suddenly, even in well-adjusted individuals. In the 19th century, someone suddenly breaking down in a public space due to trauma and PTSD would likely have been seen as hysterical, particularly if they were a woman. Today, we know that these behaviors have much more complex causes.
How did they treat hysteria?
Doctors used to treat hysteria with a host of now ill-advised practices, including shock therapy, being admitted into insane asylums, hypnosis, and various medications. Approaching hysteria and those thought to have it was not done in the most mindful or delicate ways and often did not help the individuals. These methods are now considered archaic, inhumane, and largely unhelpful.
Can hysteria be cured?
Today psychology describes “hysteria” as a symptom of other psychological disorders, such as dissociative disorder, somatoform disorder, mood disorders, depression, PTSD, and others, rather than as a condition in and of itself. While none of these conditions can be cured, per se, they can be treated with therapy, medications, mindfulness, and many other techniques that enable those with them to manage their mental health healthily and lead healthy and fulfilling lives.
What was female hysteria really?
Women and hysteria have a long and complicated history. Hysteria was a blanket term used to diagnose women who experienced depression, anxiety, anger, PTSD, high sexual drives, infertility, painful menstruation, blindness, and even menopause! Women were often diagnosed with hysteria when doctors or healers didn’t know what was happening! In the 19th century, some individuals believed that hysteria was caused by women overstimulating their minds because it was also believed that women could not handle too many mental challenges like balancing finances, running a business, or even reading. The diagnosis of female hysteria was a horribly sexist and inaccurate practice.
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