Hysteria and the menopause transition (aka perimenopause) are closely linked due to the symptoms that can appear seemingly out of nowhere during this time. Unfortunately, women, even today, are still portrayed in literature and movies as having either a bed-ridden mysterious illness, stark-raving mad, or just plain lunatics. I'm hopeful that things are changing with more and more women going to medical school, an increase in awareness of perimenopause and menopause, and some initiatives in the US to promote research for women's health issues.
I was hoping you'd comment Shelby! It is very telling that the majority of women admitted to asylums during this time were either young and possibly sufferring from other conditions like epilepsy or depression, or were menopausal. It's incredibly sad how little has changed in terms of representation, and even really how doctor's view the menopause. I hope this improves too.
Thank you for sharing this - lots of insight for me to digest, particularly the social nature and impact of hysteria labels. Hysteria now and previously being used as a tool of control - as another way to allow men to paint non-men as "other" "different" and "not capable / broken". I work in pharma R&D, so I'm aware of several of the medical points you've raised, but I'm now seeing more clearly how these are extended to social control of women (non-men), both overt and covert.
That's great to hear John, I'm glad it got you thinking! That was definitely the aim of this research: to show the link between the medical and social treatment of women. Of course, exacerbated by the lack of female representation in medicine (as practitioners then, and in research now). I do hope this changes in the near future.
It's heartbreaking to see the way women’s illnesses and pain is often dismissed by the medical community. The lack of research, use of painful methods even though alternatives exist, and horrifying methods of ‘treatment’ of the female body is rampant in many parts of the world even today. In her post, Lucy traces the origins with direct notes from physicians back in the day, the female perspective and illustrates the present scenario. Thank you for bringing attention to this
Of course. It's incredibly important to talk about these issues and how relevant they still are. Especially when I'm just talking about Britain.. which is supposedly one of the more socially and scientifically "advanced" countries in the world :/
Thank you for writing this piece Lucy. I've done some reading around hysteria and the inequality in research regarding women's health, but not as much as I would like to, so I in particular appreciate the reading list. But I also find it shocking how backwards the situation still is, and how little women are listened to I terms of their own health.
Poe's an hysteric. Byron's an hysteric. So too Catullus... Plath, Lowell, Shelley... Poetic sensibilities.
When I think of Hysteria I dont dismiss nor defer -- to psychology. Doctors who had to diagnose ? women who refused to conform....
Alas, that still goes on. As I ran - straight into it. And stole from too...
With regards to what sounds like mental illness that shockingly becomes violent in behavior.
And yet I never went there first. Rather to, John Nash. Who, as Joyce liked to say "tipped."
Thanks for the quotes! And how engenders into Gothic --
"that I seldom closed my eyes without being haunted by Mr. Venables’ image […] I woke, in violent fits of trembling..."
I steal from in part at a morning awakening, for novel working on, to some extent... never before really thought about my rhyme rolling, also an extension of the Gothic per se --
Hysteria and the menopause transition (aka perimenopause) are closely linked due to the symptoms that can appear seemingly out of nowhere during this time. Unfortunately, women, even today, are still portrayed in literature and movies as having either a bed-ridden mysterious illness, stark-raving mad, or just plain lunatics. I'm hopeful that things are changing with more and more women going to medical school, an increase in awareness of perimenopause and menopause, and some initiatives in the US to promote research for women's health issues.
I was hoping you'd comment Shelby! It is very telling that the majority of women admitted to asylums during this time were either young and possibly sufferring from other conditions like epilepsy or depression, or were menopausal. It's incredibly sad how little has changed in terms of representation, and even really how doctor's view the menopause. I hope this improves too.
Thank you for sharing this - lots of insight for me to digest, particularly the social nature and impact of hysteria labels. Hysteria now and previously being used as a tool of control - as another way to allow men to paint non-men as "other" "different" and "not capable / broken". I work in pharma R&D, so I'm aware of several of the medical points you've raised, but I'm now seeing more clearly how these are extended to social control of women (non-men), both overt and covert.
That's great to hear John, I'm glad it got you thinking! That was definitely the aim of this research: to show the link between the medical and social treatment of women. Of course, exacerbated by the lack of female representation in medicine (as practitioners then, and in research now). I do hope this changes in the near future.
It's heartbreaking to see the way women’s illnesses and pain is often dismissed by the medical community. The lack of research, use of painful methods even though alternatives exist, and horrifying methods of ‘treatment’ of the female body is rampant in many parts of the world even today. In her post, Lucy traces the origins with direct notes from physicians back in the day, the female perspective and illustrates the present scenario. Thank you for bringing attention to this
Of course. It's incredibly important to talk about these issues and how relevant they still are. Especially when I'm just talking about Britain.. which is supposedly one of the more socially and scientifically "advanced" countries in the world :/
Thank you for writing this piece Lucy. I've done some reading around hysteria and the inequality in research regarding women's health, but not as much as I would like to, so I in particular appreciate the reading list. But I also find it shocking how backwards the situation still is, and how little women are listened to I terms of their own health.
Thanks Lisa, it's an incredibly important topic and one that is really is shocking! The more you read, the worse it gets honestly :(
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I loved this piece.
This was an amazing piece on women and the views of women. Thank you for including Mary Wollstonecraft. She was one of the 1st feminist and warriors.
Great job
Poe's an hysteric. Byron's an hysteric. So too Catullus... Plath, Lowell, Shelley... Poetic sensibilities.
When I think of Hysteria I dont dismiss nor defer -- to psychology. Doctors who had to diagnose ? women who refused to conform....
Alas, that still goes on. As I ran - straight into it. And stole from too...
With regards to what sounds like mental illness that shockingly becomes violent in behavior.
And yet I never went there first. Rather to, John Nash. Who, as Joyce liked to say "tipped."
Thanks for the quotes! And how engenders into Gothic --
"that I seldom closed my eyes without being haunted by Mr. Venables’ image […] I woke, in violent fits of trembling..."
I steal from in part at a morning awakening, for novel working on, to some extent... never before really thought about my rhyme rolling, also an extension of the Gothic per se --
Oh excellent! I would love to see more!