Hysteria Then and Now: From Freud to SEVEE – Understanding the Body’s Silent Cry
- Jun 30
- 3 min read
Hysteria Then and Now: From Freud to SEVEE – Understanding the Body’s Silent Cry
“She’s not faking it. She’s feeling it - just not in a way medicine can measure."
At SEVEE, we often meet clients who are physically suffering… but no tests show anything “wrong.” One such story came to us wrapped in confusion — a woman experiencing all the signs of labour pain, but she wasn’t pregnant.
Her story, like many others, is a reminder that when emotional pain isn’t heard, the body starts to scream.
Hysteria Then and Now: From Freud to SEVEE – Understanding the Body’s Silent Cry
What is Hysteria?
Historically, hysteria was a catch-all diagnosis for unexplained physical and emotional symptoms — often used unfairly to describe women who didn’t conform, or who were deeply distressed.
The term came from the Greek word “hystera”, meaning uterus. Back then, they believed the womb wandered in the body, causing madness. Of course, science has since disproven this — but the stereotype stayed.
Today, we no longer use “hysteria” as a diagnosis. Instead, conditions once labeled as hysteria now fall under:
Conversion Disorder / Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder
Somatic Symptom Disorder
Dissociative Disorders
Signs and Symptoms
Hysteria can mimic almost any illness. That’s what makes it both confusing and often dismissed. People may experience:
Sudden blindness, deafness, or paralysis
Seizure-like episodes with no EEG findings
Pseudo-pregnancy or labour-like pain
Shortness of breath, chest tightness
Unexplained aches and chronic fatigue
Emotional outbursts, dissociation, or fainting
These symptoms are real — not imagined. But they’re not always caused by physical damage. They’re expressions of emotional distress, often suppressed for too long.
Case Study: The Labour That Never Was
A 29-year-old woman was rushed to the emergency room, clutching her stomach, screaming in pain. All signs pointed to active labour. But multiple scans showed no pregnancy.
After several tests ruled out medical causes, a psychiatric evaluation revealed deep-rooted trauma - including years of marital abuse and pressure to bear children. Her body, overwhelmed and unheard, had converted emotional pain into physical symptoms. She wasn’t pretending. She was processing.
Through therapy at SEVEE - focused on emotional expression, trauma healing, and body-mind integration - she slowly reconnected with her reality and regained control.
Why Does This Happen?
When trauma, fear, or grief is repressed for too long, the nervous system finds another way to express it. The mind and body are deeply connected. In many cultures — including ours - emotional vulnerability isn’t always welcomed. So the body becomes the storyteller.
Treatment: From Shame to Healing
At SEVEE, we use a compassionate, integrative approach to support clients with conversion and somatic symptoms:
Talk Therapy: Building emotional safety and expression
CBT & Body-Based Approaches: Recognizing physical cues of distress
Trauma-informed care: Healing the root, not just the reaction
Cultural Context: We understand the Desi silence around feelings
We don’t ask: “What’s wrong with you?”We ask: “What happened to you?”
Final Thought
If your body is hurting but no test finds an answer - maybe your emotions are trying to be heard. Hysteria is not madness. It’s unprocessed pain wearing a physical mask. And healing begins the moment you’re believed.
Feeling unseen or unheard by doctors or family?
Talk to a SEVEE therapist who listens to both your words and your body.
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