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What is hysteria? | Wellcome Collection

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The definition and diagnosis of hysteria has quite a history. Explore the beginnings of hysteria in Greece, through to animal magnetism, vibrators and, finally, shell shock in World War I. Words by Sarah Jaffrayaverage reading time 7 minutes 13 August 2015 W hen it comes to explaining hysteria, you might have heard some variation of the following: All of these are simplifications, perhaps even pure misogyny. In fact, the idea of hysteria has changed throughout Western European history: the disease has been a catch-all (tragically) for ailments as wide-ranging as epilepsy, infertility, PTSD, depression and menopause. The simplified urban myths of hysteria make assumptions about the continuity of women’s sexuality. As historian Helen King explains, hysteria is not a single disease entity with a continuous history, nor is it a disease with a continuous set of symptoms. The ancient Greek doctor Hippocrates, perhaps the first to diagnose hysteria, explained the disorder as “suffocation of t

When it comes to explaining hysteria, you might have heard some variation of the following: In ancient Greece it was thought that women’s wombs wandered through their bodies, causing madness (hystera = womb; hysterikos = of the womb). Hysteria stems from sexual frustration in women. And the one you are most likely to have heard: in the 19th century, women thought to have hysteria were ‘treated’ with vibrators by their doctors. All of these are simplifications, perhaps even pure misogyny. In fact, the idea of hysteria has changed throughout Western European history: the disease has been a…

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