Hysteria

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Hysteria is a term used to mean ungovernable emotional excess and can refer to a temporary state of mind or emotion.^[1] In the nineteenth century, female hysteria was considered a diagnosable physical illness in women. It is assumed that the basis for diagnosis operated under the belief that women are predisposed to mental and behavioral conditions; an interpretation of sex-related differences in stress responses.^[2] In the twentieth century, it shifted to being considered a mental illness.^[3] Many influential people such as Sigmund Freud and Jean-Martin Charcot dedicated research to hysteria patients.^[4]

Currently, most physicians do not accept hysteria as a medical diagnosis.^[5] The blanket diagnosis of hysteria has been fragmented into myriad medical categories such as epilepsy, histrionic personality disorder, conversion disorders, dissociative disorders, or other medical conditions.^[5][6] Furthermore, lifestyle choices, such as choosing not to wed, are no longer considered symptoms of psychological disorders such as hysteria.^[5]