Hysteria - Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Hysteria, as a descriptive category, has been applied in a variety of ways, across historical periods and cultural contexts. Typically beginning during adolescence or early adulthood and occurring more commonly in women than men. Female hysteria was a formerly common medical diagnosis, made exclusively in women, which is no longer recognized by modern medical authorities. It was a popular diagnosis in Western nations, during the Victorian era, for women who exhibited a wide array of symptoms including faintness, nervousness, insomnia, fluid retention, heaviness in abdomen, muscle spasm, shortness of breath, irritability, loss of appetite for food or sex, and a "tendency to cause trouble". Patients with hysterical disorders, such as conversion and somatization disorder experience physical symptoms that have no organic cause. Conversion disorder affects motor and sensory functions, while somatization affects the gastrointestinal , nervous, cardiopulmonary , or reproductive systems. Many reasons are behind its decline: Many medical authors claim that the decline is due to laypeople gaining a greater understanding of the psychology behind conversion disorders such as hysteria, and it therefore no longer gets the desired response from society. Hysteria was a disease caused by sexual deprivation in particularly passionate women. Hysteria was noted quite often in virgins, nuns, widows and, occasionally, married women.

Hysteria is commonly assumed that Hippocrates, the father of medicine. Hysteria may be a defense mechanism to avoid painful emotions by unconsciously transferring this distress to the body. There may be a symbolic function for this, for example a rape victim may develop paralyzed legs. As an illness, hysteria has had a long-standing association with the feminine. Although male sufferers were, at times, identified and discussed, it has primarily been seen as a women's disorder. A key aspect of hysteria's manifestation was that it involved the sufferer's body, in a way that was changeable, and could not be put down to any tangible cause. Some of the classic symptoms of hysteria included a feeling of suffocation, coughing, dramatic fits, paralysis of the limbs, fainting spells, but also sudden inability to speak and loss of hearing. Many cases that would have been labeled hysteria were reclassified by Freud as anxiety neuroses. Today different manifestations of hysteria are recognized in other conditions such as schizophrenia , convesion disorder , and anxiety attacks. Psychotherapy is generally the treatment of choice for histrionic personality disorder. It focuses on supporting the patient and on helping develop the skills needed to create meaningful relationships with others.

Causes of Hysteria

Common causes and Risk factors of Hysteria

• Dementia.
• Brain tumor.
• Stress.
• Mammaryphobia plague.
• Depression.
• Traumatism.
• Masturbation.

Signs and Symptoms of Hysteria

Common Sign and Symptoms of Hysteria

• Headache
• Suffocation
• Neck and the jugular veins get swollen
• Palpitation
• Unconsciousness
• Extremely fast heart beat
• Violent movements
• Clenched teeth

Treatment of Hysteria

Common Treatment of Hysteria

• Psychotherapy is generally the treatment of choice for histrionic personality disorder.
• Proper sex education should be provided and a married patient should be taught to enjoy a normal sexual relationship.
• Exercise and outdoor games are also important.