|
Hysteria Causes Symptoms Information With Treatment by :
Juliet Cohen
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.
|