Wetenschappelijk tijdschrift voor psychiaters, artsen in opleiding tot psychiater en andere geïnteresseerden
Short report
Considerations regarding Hysteria
- Typical for hysteria is an exaggeration of the general human tendency toward falsity.
- For the hysterical personality this serves the purpose of satisfying a dominant narcissistic need, while the self-critical facility of the personality is absent or functioning inadequately.
- In the case of hysterical symptoms this reflects the tendency to accept and utilize the role of an ill person.
- In hysterical behaviour this functions as an adaptive, defensive, or expressive mechanism.
- There is little reason to maintain the term hysterical reaction.
- A hypothesis is formulated to explain the origin of hysterical personality development.
- Hopefully these considerations will contribute to a better definition and description of the terminology used in connection with the concept Hysteria.