Hysteria: A historical perspective

Abstract

The concept of hysteria has evolved through the ages from the ancient civilizations to the modern era. It has been variously attributed to a wandering uterus by the Greeks, demonic possession, witchcraft, bad humors, and inadequate sexual satisfaction by other cultures, finally culminating as a disorder of the brain and the nervous system. Initially considered as an affliction restricted to the female sex, hysteria has later evolved to include a large variety of psychiatric disorders in both sexes. The term hysteria no longer exists in the modern classificatory system. It has been reconceptualized as functional neurological disorders, dissociative (conversion) disorders, and somatization disorders. The concept continues to evolve with advances in medical sciences.

Keywords

• conversion
• dissociation
• hysteria