# Historical perspectives on "Hysteria" (conversion disorder)



## David Baxter PhD (Sep 29, 2006)

Experts continue to explore the nature and origins of hysteria
_The Scout Report_

The history of the condition formerly known as hysteria (now formally known as ?conversion disorder?) dates back several millennia. Hippocrates once suggested that the most appropriate treatment for the condition was marriage, and for hundreds of years, the condition was erroneously considered to primarily affect women. While interest in this relatively unexamined condition waned in recent decades, a number of researchers and scientists have once again begun to embark on more complex projects to search for the origins of this condition. 

Despite the fact that functional neuroimaging devices such as PET scans can record changes in brain activity, there remains dissent within the scientific community about how the condition should be classified, and what criteria should be used to evaluate various aspects of the condition. For many, one of the most important discoveries about the nature of hysteria was posited by Sigmund Freud, who in working with that very famous patient, Anna O., was able to observe that the body might be acting out the internal dramas of the mind. 

While work continues in the field, many scientists remain optimistic about the search for greater understanding about the condition, and many would agree with Dr. Peter Halligan, a professor of neuropsychology, who recently commented, "We?re only at the beginning".

Is Hysteria Real? Brain Images Say Yes [Free registration required] 
The first link will take users to a fine article from this Tuesday?s _New York Times_ that provides both some background about the nature of hysteria, and the current research that is being done on the condition. 

Sigmund Freud: Conflict & Culture
Moving along, the second link will take visitors to an insightful online exhibit about Freud?s work with Anna O. that includes both selections from his journals and images of historical documents, such as his classic, _Studies in Hysteria_ from 1895. 

Emotions and Disease: Psychosomatic Medicine
The third link leads to an online exhibit created by staff members at the National Library of Medicine that explores the early attempts by the French clinician Jean-Martin Charcot to learn more about the origins of hysteria through observation and research with patients. 

Salem Witch Trials Documentary Archive
The fourth link will whisk users away to a fantastic site that provides visitors with dozens of primary documents (including maps, first-hand accounts and monographs) that tell the story of the Salem Witch Trials, which at the time, were supposed to have been partially caused by "hysteria". 

Hysteria by T.S. Eliot
The fifth link leads interested literary types to the full text of T.S. Eliot?s poem, _Hysteria_. 

Nerves and Narratives: A Cultural History of Hysteria in 19th-Century British Prose
Finally, the last link will take users to the complete text of a recent monograph that explores the representation of hysteria in 19th century British prose. Authored by P. Melville Logan, the work contains chapters titled _Narrative and Self-Violence_ and _The Body in Need of Nerves_.

Source: The Scout Report


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## foghlaim (Sep 29, 2006)

as it says above.. hysteria is now more commonly known as Conversion disorder, Something i discovered a while back.. i had an episode if that's the right word. 

mind you i was thinking that i couldn't be bothered to read historical stuff..( i prob should!!) more upto date info is my thing tho... lol sorry Dr. B.

nsa


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