Hysteria is a term used for a hysterical disorder or histrionic personality disorder. Hysterical disorders are psychological disorders whereby a patient experiences physical symptoms with no actual organic cause. Histrionic personality disorder causes a person to act on emotion and is often seen as attention seeking that prevents proper interaction with others. Hysteria may be the mind's defence mechanism for blocking out painful negative emotions and shifting them to other areas of the body.

Causes of hysteria

The exact causes of hysteria, or histrionic personality disorder (HPD), are unclear due to a lack of research however physiological, developmental, cognitive and social factors are all probable triggers.

Studies have shown that someone with the disorder may have abnormal function of the impulses which dictate behaviour, this leads to excessive emotional reactions (particularly to rejection). Other theories point toward psychosexual development during childhood and the disapproval of the early mother-child relationship.

Hysteria may also be a defence mechanism used as a way to cope with conflict. Sigmund Freud theorised that patients with severe histrionic personality disorder use repression, denial and dissociation to cope and then rationalise their excessive behaviour to appear normal.

Social and cultural factors may also play in a part in the disorder particularly when the individual is raised among cultures that value uninhibited emotional displays.

There are common symptoms which are displayed by someone with histrionic personality disorder:

• Attention seeking – people with HPD feel uncomfortable when not the centre of attention.
• Sexual seductiveness – displaying inappropriate and provocative sexual behaviour toward others.
• Shifting emotions – shallow emotional expression that tend to shift rapidly
• Appearance – someone with HPD will use their physical appearance to gain attention.
• Speech – people with HPD will generalise and avoid going into detail as a way to impress and please others.
• Dramatic behaviour – exaggeration of emotions and self-dramatising behaviour
• Easily suggestible – other people or situations can easily influence someone who has HPD
• Overestimating intimacy – people with HPD will overestimate intimacy within a relationship.

*Source: GoToSee.co.uk

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