The Unknown Hysteria
Lecture 1 of the “Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis” written by Sigmund Freud easily portrays most doctors’ dismissive attitudes towards hysterical patients vs. Breuer’s sympathetic attitude towards these patients. Freud demonstrates how most doctors would look away when a patient’s symptoms do not relate to the medicine they learned as well as show how Breuer did not know much about hysteria but tried his best to help his patients. Since hysteria was an unknown subject for Breuer, doing different tests and trying different methods was his way of helping his patients. Most doctors’ attitudes towards hysterical patients were negative and withdrawn, while Breuer’s attitude was helpful, caring, and passionate.
To begin with, Freud discusses how doctors treated hysterical patients differently because hysteria was an unknown subject. These patients’ symptoms were not physical nor related to the medicine taught to most doctors, thus letting nature take its course was their optimistic prognosis. For example, “If a picture of this kind is presented by a young patient of the female sex… who has been subjected to violent emotional shocks… then doctors are not inclined to take the case too seriously… Medical skill is in most cases powerless against severe diseases of the brain”(Freud, 2200-2201). Doctors would associate these symptoms with women and make less of the disease because during this time, in 1916, hysteria was classified as a typical female disorder. Even though hysteria was related to females doctors were also dismissive of the topic of hysteria because they were not able to rely on the medicine they knew. Freud argues that “Dr. Breuer’s attitude towards his patient deserved no such reproach. He gave her both sympathy and interest, even though, to begin with, he did not know how to help her… Soon, moreover, his benevolent scrutiny showed him the means of bringing her a first instalment of help.”(Freud, pg 2202). Unlike other doctors, Breuer tried to help his patients anyway he could from the very start. Throughout a series of research, Breuer developed ideas about hysteria such as emotional suppression, the importance of absences, and post-hypnotic suggestions. Hypnosis was one of the methods that seemed to help the patient since it dealt with controlling the unconscious mind over the conscious. Having the patient express themselves and talk about their traumatic experiences help their mental state, this method was known as “the talking cure”. Hysteria may have been unknown to Breuer but that did not stop him from looking for ways to help his patients and help Freud enlighten other doctors on the matter.
Without a doubt “The Yellow Wallpaper” illustrates Freud’s critiques of most doctors not taking hysteria seriously. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” the narrator is a woman who is put into isolation by her husband and physician, John because he believed it was the best way to help her and keep her sane. The narrator argues that “He knows there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfies him… He asked me all sorts of questions, too, and pretended to be very loving and kind.”(Stetson, 649,655). It should be noted that John like other doctors did not initially take hysteria seriously but once he saw how it was affecting his wife he was worried. Freud explained how other doctors considered hysteria once he had provided more information about it, like these doctors, John dismissed hysteria until he realized it was something more than what he thought it was. The isolation and restriction of activities John put the narrator in caused emotional suppression which later reflected in her worsen state. In “Why I Wrote The Yellow Wallpaper” the author states that “the great specialist had admitted to friends of his that he had altered his treatment of neurasthenia since reading The Yellow Wallpaper.”(Gilman 1). “The Yellow Wallpaper” gave doctors an insight into the patient’s perspective, convincing them to change their treatments and start taking hysteria seriously. In other words, learning and discovering new things about the subject helped doctors help those who needed them.
In conclusion, most doctors’ attitude towards hysterical patients was dismissive but insight on the matter and a personal story gave those doctors the skills, sympathy, and motivation they lacked to do more for those with hysteria. While Breuer’s attitude towards hysterical patients was caring and compassionate. Freud’s critics about other doctors proved to stay consistent through different pieces of writing. Nevertheless, knowledge of hysteria proved to help doctors be better for their patients.
Works Cited
Freud, S. (2020) “Five Lectures On Psychoanalysis”. Lecture.
Perkins, C. (1891). New England Magazine. “The Yellow Wallpaper”, (1913).
Gilman, C. P. (1913, October). “Why I Wrote The Yellow Wallpaper”. The Forerunner.
