A psychiatric syndrome first described by the french neurologist jean m. Charcot (1825–1893). The patient with hysteria may show shallow or unmodulated affect, self-absorption, sexual preoccupation or promiscuous sexual behavior, and thought disorder. Hysteria is also referred to as conversion disorder because it represents a conversion of anxiety related to unconscious conflicts into somatic symptoms.
A defense mechanism.
A term formerly used in psychiatry, but now informally used for a condition in which the person appears unstable, and may scream and wave their arms about, but also is repressed, and may be slow to react to outside stimuli (dated).
Neurotic disorder marked by abnormal emotional response and often by physical symptoms, as shown in unusual sensory, circulatory, intestinal, or other responses. In severe cases, paralysis of a limb may be a chief symptom.
An emotional disorder in which the person develops one or more dramatic physical symptoms, such as blindness, paralysis, altered consciousness, or abdominal pain; the symptoms are not due to organic or physical disease but can be traced to unconscious psychological reasons. The various types of hysteria are recognized as separate disorders; conversion disorder (in which physical symptoms mimic a major disease but lack physical basis), dissociative disorders (in which consciousness is altered, as in amnesia), factitious disorder (in which the person feigns the symptoms of disease out of a psychological need to be sick), and somatization disorder (in which the individual is preoccupied with physical symptoms at times of stress).
A neurosis whose principal features consist of emotional instability, repression, dissociation, physical symptoms, and vulnerability to suggestion. Freud postulated that hysteria arose as the result of frustrated libidinous impulses. Two types are usually described: conversion hysteria characterized mainly by physical symptoms, such as paralysis; and dissociative hysteria, in which patients show changes in thinking, such as multiple personality states or amnesia. There is doubt as to whether hysteria constitutes a clinical entity. Patients with such symptoms are usually treated with psychotherapy.
An out-of-date description for a symptom (or symptoms) with no obvious organic cause, which is an unconscious reaction and from which the person may benefit. It is now recognized as a dissociative disorder: such disorders amnesia, fugue, multiple personality states and trancelike conditions are powerful defence mechanisms against severe stress when a patient is unable to cope with a particular problem or problems. Symptoms can also mimic physical conditions: for example, apparent paralysis or inability to speak (mutism). Mass hysteria is a phenomenon characterized by extreme suggestibility in a group of often emotionally charged people.
A pejorative term used in popular speech to mean a conversion reaction or a widely fluctuating expression of emotions.
The earliest designation for a psychological and neurological disorder characterized by episodes of intense emotional outbursts and/or disruptions in movement and sensory perception. Certain manifestations of hysteria are presently categorized as somatoform disorders, while others are classified within the dissociative disorders group.
“Hysteria” is a term from the past, used broadly to encompass a variety of physical or mental symptoms attributed to psychological stress. Symptoms previously classified under this umbrella term are now sorted into more specific diagnostic categories such as conversion disorder, somatization disorder, dissociative disorders, and factitious disorders. Though outdated, the term is still informally used to describe irrational behavior.
Hysterical episodes can often be easily identified due to their unusual nature, typically happening in front of others. In extreme cases, these episodes can involve tears, loud cries, or even fainting. This condition is rooted in psychological factors, where feelings of anxiety manifest as temporary physical symptoms without any underlying organic cause. Other manifestations of hysteria can include an entire limb appearing paralyzed, with the patient showing no response to stimuli like a pinprick. Such incidents are not usually linked to any physical trauma. Immediate first-aid isn’t required, and making a scene or resorting to outdated treatments, such as throwing cold water or slapping, is discouraged. These patients require medical attention and a thorough evaluation by a neuropsychiatrist.