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Cliquishness

Medical expert of the article

Psychologist
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

The term "hysterical" comes from the word "klikat'", "krychat'" and means "prophecy". In ancient times, hysterical people were considered to be possessed, the result of damage, witchcraft, the consequence of the devil's inhabiting them. They were feared, their hysterical attacks were attributed with the ability to predict. And today, on TV screens, you can see scenes of priests exorcising the devil, when people are writhing in terrible convulsions, shouting meaningless words, swearing. The suspicion creeps in that these are staged tricks. But what is really behind this? Medicine recognizes this phenomenon and interprets it as a type of hysteria.

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Epidemiology

According to statistics, about 10% of people on the planet suffer from various neuroses. Over the past 70 years, their number has increased 25 times. Interestingly, in more developed countries, the number of diseases is higher than in those with a lower level of cultural and economic development. Women are most often subject to hysteria.

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Risk factors

Hysteria or hysterical neurosis is a complex neuropsychiatric disease that manifests itself without apparent cause from the nervous system in the form of various emotional reactions of a person. Risk factors for this condition may include:

  • physical diseases caused by external influences or internal pathologies of organs;
  • severe psychological trauma;
  • drug or alcohol abuse;
  • uncontrolled use of sleeping pills and tranquilizers.

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Pathogenesis

The pathogenesis of hysteria is based on a person's tendency to suggestion, emotional instability, excessive sensitivity, vulnerability, stubbornness, uncompromisingness, and pedantry. The surrounding environment, family dysfunction, constant stress at work, and emotional tension also play a role. The pathogenesis of the disease is characterized by its gradual manifestation. Hysterical laughter, lack of air, a lump in the throat, a strong heartbeat, convulsions, pale or, conversely, red skin on the face - this is how a hysterical attack begins. Then the hysteria increases, the patient may tear his hair and clothes, his hearing and vision deteriorate, pain in the esophagus and heart occurs, and partial paralysis may occur.

Symptoms cliques

The first signs of the pathology begin with a character disorder: anxiety, unreasonable worry, fear, a feeling of impending disaster, irritation towards people. Other symptoms of hysteria are dizziness, insomnia, heaviness in the chest, tachycardia, pain in the stomach. Often there is bloating, it seems that something is rolling under the heart. Then comes the attack itself, which always occurs in a crowded place, because spectators are needed to manifest hysteria. The person falls, convulses, rolls his eyes up to his forehead, screams, as they say, "in a voice that is not his own", often with animal sounds.

Forms

In various literature, three main types of speech behavior of the possessed person, observed by eyewitnesses, are described:

  • inarticulate sounds, muttering, meaningless phrases that retain some rhythm, tempo - what is inherent in meaningful speech. These signs are the beginning of a seizure;
  • imitation of sounds made by animals and birds (cuckoos, roosters, dogs);
  • speech on behalf of a demonic creature that has possessed the hysterical woman.

Complications and consequences

The consequences of the disease can be quite serious if neurosis becomes chronic. These are obsessive states, depression, loss of interest in life, suicide. Complications from the psycho-emotional sphere can affect internal organs, causing heart disease, loss of vision, hearing, paralysis of the limbs.

Diagnostics cliques

Hysteria is diagnosed based on neurological examination data. The patient concentrates on his suffering, enjoys it, and the number of observers is important to him: the more there are, the more intense the moaning.

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Differential diagnosis

The task of differential diagnostics is to distinguish hysterical neurosis from pathologies with similar symptoms (other types, sluggish schizophrenia, neurasthenia).

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Treatment cliques

Treatment of hysteria is reduced to neurosis therapy. First of all, it is necessary to eliminate factors that traumatize the psyche and create conditions for rest. Then psychotherapy, hypnosis, autogenic training, drug treatment, consisting of the use of tranquilizers, sleeping pills and sedatives, neuroleptics are used. An important role in eliminating the pathological condition is given to physical activity, as well as physiotherapeutic methods - electrosleep, aromatherapy, therapeutic exercise, water procedures. Traditional medicine recipes recommend soothing herbal decoctions of valerian, lemon balm, motherwort. Severe forms of the disease require inpatient treatment.

Prevention

Prevention of hysteria is avoiding stressful situations, getting enough sleep, giving up alcohol, tonic drinks: coffee, tea. It is important to create comfortable conditions at home and have normal relationships at work. It is necessary to find time for rest, your hobbies and then the world will be harmonized.

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Forecast

The prognosis of the pathology depends on the person's personality, concomitant diseases, and the severity of the condition. With timely treatment, elimination of the causes that excite the patient, the prognosis is favorable. In various physical diseases, organic damage to the nervous system, treatment requires a more in-depth study and long-term treatment, and sometimes constant monitoring.


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