![]() ![]() Rather than discuss female hysteria or refer to women as suffering from hysteria, psychologists recognize various mental health conditions. The truth is that the term hysteria isn’t used at all on its own anymore. Freud also found that hysteria could occur in both men and women, though he focused his energy on female hysteria. It seems that more and more people were starting to see that hysteria was not, in fact, the reason for the changes these women (and men) were experiencing. From here, the disease was better researched, and as time went on and we neared the 19 th century, the prevalence of cases started to decline sharply. In fact, Jean-Martin Charcot believed that it was more common in men. Luckily, somewhere in the 18 th century, it was found that hysteria is related to the brain, and not only that, but it is common in men as well as women. ![]() As a result, women were sometimes given hysterectomies to remove the womb and ‘restore sanity.’ They might also be put into insane asylums if their behavior was considered too outrageous for them to live in a normal society. It wasn’t until the mid-1900s, 1952, to be exact, that the American Psychiatric Association stopped using the term ‘hysteria.’ The idea before this, however, was that the womb was the cause for all of the problems that women experienced, causing all of these potential symptoms. As a result, there was a strong amount of control over female behavior during this period. They might be outspoken, retain fluids, faint, or just plain cause some trouble for other people. In fact, just about any out-of-the-ordinary behavior that a woman presented during that age would be blamed on female hysteria. They might have shortness of breath or have irritability or lose interest in food or sex. In the early 1800’s it was frequently used to describe how women would become anxious or nervous. Suppose you’ve heard the term hysteria before you’ve probably heard of it about female hysteria. The physical manifestations were never considered a part of the wardrobe that the women of the era wore either, but instead to be another symptom of this inappropriate female condition. For a female to be agitated or irritable was considered highly inappropriate. Rather, they were to be seen and not heard, and they were to always comply immediately with their husbands, brothers, fathers, or other male relatives. ![]() While these symptoms today are not considered a sign of anything inappropriate, in the 1800’s it was unheard of for women to act in this way. Some treated using hypnosis, shock therapy, medication, and more throughout the many years that this was considered a true medical condition. For most women, this would mean being treated in an insane asylum. Women in the early 1800s or earlier who exhibited these types of symptoms would often be diagnosed with hysteria, and it was up to their family to decide how to treat them and what to do about it. These are related to the older version of the term rather than the current definition. Let’s take a little closer look at some of the symptoms that we mentioned for hysteria. Speak With A Board-Certified Psychology Expert Online This website is owned and operated by BetterHelp, who receives all fees associated with the platform.
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