Hysteria, or more correctly Hysteria neurosis, is perhaps the oldest names for a disease that has been used in man. There are records of people suffering from this disorder as far back as two millennia. Though its perspective has changed drastically since the time the term was coined, the essence that it is a mental disorder remains the same.

Hysteria is an extreme psychological condition in which a person reacts out of proportion to the stimuli. The reaction could be expressed in the form of extreme anger, hatred, fear, frustration, depression or similar emotion.

Since there are so many different forms hysteria can take, and so many different levels to which its symptoms can be manifested, there cannot be a concrete definition for the disorder. Any reaction that does not warrant the particular change in the surroundings can be included in the broad heading of hysteria. In order to classify between the various types of undefined hysteria, experts have come up with terms such as functional disorder, non-organic disorder, psychogenic disorder and even medically unexplained disorder.

The last term mentioned above is of particular interest. People who suffer from hysteria complain about symptoms in their body which have no medical proof. Most patients of hysteria would become obsessed about a particular organ of their body and keep complaining about problems with it. For example, a person may keep complaining about kidney failure, or heart pains, though there may be no clinical explanation of the same.

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It is very difficult to discern why a particular person becomes hysteric. Sometimes, upbringing plays a very important role. If there has been something wrong in the manner in which the parent deal with their children’s emotional issues, then there is a great chance that the child may learn to overreact to situations later on in life. Children who are abused – either physically, mentally or sexually – also tend to become hysterical as they grow up. They may develop phobias, mostly pertaining to the factor that has produced them the hurt.

Too much of sexual repression in the childhood can also be responsible for hysteria. Households in which children have been constantly scolded and brought up as introverts need to rectify their situations, for their children could grow up with several developmental defects.

Hysteria makes its presence felt in the form of attacks. The hysterical person may be alright normally, but there could be some factor that could precipitate the wild reactions. Most of the factors have a mental impact, such as:-

• Suddenly meeting an undesirable relative or friend
• Death of a loved one
• Unexpected failure of loss in business
• A bitter word or a false allegation made by someone
• Severe mental trauma or physical hurt in the past

There are a hundreds of reasons or factors that may bring on a hysterical attack. Since every person’s brain is unique, so also is its capacity to bear external changes. If the person is too sensitive, then there is a high chance that that person might act hysterically to seemingly insignificant stimuli.

Ayurveda classifies all conditions of hysteria under a single heading, named yosha apasmaara, or sometimes calling it bhoota bhadhe. Its cause in Ayurveda is the imbalance of the air element that governs the human body, i.e. vata dosha. Hence, yosha apasmaara is a vataja disorder.

Apart from this, there are, the guna principles are also very much applicable to hysteria. Gunas are the qualities of a human being. There are three gunas on the basis of which people can be classified:-

Sattvic guna – This is the guna that classifies people as serene, meditative and with a generally calm outlook of life.

Rajas guna – This is the guna that classifies people as active with a much more aggressive outlook of life.

Tamas guna – This is the guna that classifies people as deviant, who may resort to criminal ways as a mode of living.

In people with more of rajas guna, there is a chance that hysteria may occur. For this reason, people with vata dosha and rajas guna have more chances of becoming patients of hysteria.

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There is nothing universally common about the symptoms of hysteria. Just as the disease can be caused due to a large number of factors, the symptoms are also widely different. Those who have hysterical attacks may show the following symptoms (though all people with hysteria do not show all of the listed symptoms):-

• Respiratory problems
• Difficulty in maintaining a steady posture
• Rapid heartbeats
• Violent outbursts, accompanied by yelling
• Spells of inability to speak
• Spasms in the body
• Redness of the eyes
• Extreme salivation
• Swelling of the neck muscles
• Clenching of the teeth

In extreme cases, there may be paralysis of the limbs, or a temporary inability to move. All hysteric attacks are accompanied by an inability to think rationally with a clear mind.

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Hysteria attacks can complicate themselves to very great levels. The following are the three major complications:-

• A violent hysteria attack could lead to a severe toll on the heart. During attacks of hysteria, there are violent palpitations in the heart, which may result in heart failure. In extreme cases, the patient may suffer a heart attack, which may lead to death.
• Strokes are another complication due to hysteria attacks. The supply to the blood could be stopped and this might result in malfunctioning of the brain. Hemorrhage in the brain could also occur, leading to death.
• The third most common complication is paralysis. Temporary paralysis of the limbs is common when hysteria attacks occur, but a severe attack could lead to permanent paralysis also.

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A person must take precautions from the stage when the BMI begins to hover at the ‘overweight’ scale. If due precautions are taken, then from this stage, the body can be easily prevented from becoming obese.

First and foremost, an overweight person must exercise regularly. The exercise need not be vigorous, but simple things can go a long way. If you live on an upper storey, then take the stairs once a day rather than the elevator. If you take a bus or a cab, then walk at least one stop before hailing one. Instead of using the television remote, make the trip till your set and push the buttons. These small and simple things can help burn the accumulated body fat.

Be very particular about your diet. For dietary restrictions, refer to the next section.

Do not be lazy. This is extremely important. Obesity in kids is increasing to alarming levels because parents are pampering them into not doing any work. Be active and distribute your time proportionately between work, play and rest.

Avoid smoking and alcoholism. Both of these can cause severe complications in people with excess fats in their bodies.

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Since time immemorial, hysteria has been associated with the female. It has been widely considered – even today – that hysteria attacks are seen only in the women. Especially younger women are more prone to hysteria. The first attacks of hysteria may occur when the woman is going through her first few menstrual periods. The woman may not be able to cope up with the fantastic changes taking place with her body and that could manifest itself as an attack of hysteria.

However, it is wrong to say that hysteria is totally a feminine disorder. There are several men who have got hysteria attacks also. Yet, the disorder is predisposed to women than to men.

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People who are known to have regular hysterical attacks must take the following precautions so that the attacks do not occur:-

• Avoid extreme changes in climate. Hysteria can get aggravated when it rains too heavily or when it is too cold. While traveling, do not go to a place that has very different temperature conditions.
• People around a hysteria patient should take care not to antagonize the patient with very shocking news. Shock can lead to the outburst of a hysteria attack.
• Most importantly, the hysteria patient must be given lots of love, care and affection. Many people suffer from hysteria attacks just because they feel neglected. Make sure to involve hysteria patients in every household activity that you undertake. Also take care not to broach any sensitive issues in their presence.

The best way to deal with a person who is having a hysteria attack is to keep cool and composed. You must know that the hysteria attack will pass by and the person will return to the normal state within a few minutes. Also during the attack, the hysteria person may behave in a hurting or even a violent manner. It is very important to remember that one should not retaliate when a person is having a hysteria attack. Whatever be the case, do not argue or fall into a conflict when the person is having an attack. Most of the things that are spoken by a person during a hysteria attack are not intended.

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People who are known to have regular hysterical attacks must take the following precautions so that the attacks do not occur:-

Avoid extreme changes in climate. Hysteria can get aggravated when it rains too heavily or when it is too cold. While traveling, do not go to a place that has very different temperature conditions.

People around a hysteria patient should take care not to antagonize the patient with very shocking news. Shock can lead to the outburst of a hysteria attack.

Most importantly, the hysteria patient must be given lots of love, care and affection. Many people suffer from hysteria attacks just because they feel neglected. Make sure to involve hysteria patients in every household activity that you undertake. Also take care not to broach any sensitive issues in their presence.

The best way to deal with a person who is having a hysteria attack is to keep cool and composed. You must know that the hysteria attack will pass by and the person will return to the normal state within a few minutes. Also during the attack, the hysteria person may behave in a hurting or even a violent manner. It is very important to remember that one should not retaliate when a person is having a hysteria attack. Whatever be the case, do not argue or fall into a conflict when the person is having an attack. Most of the things that are spoken by a person during a hysteria attack are not intended.

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Hysteria is linked to imbalances of both, vata dosha and rajas guna. Hence the food must be balancing for both these factors. The following dietary guidelines must be followed:-

For balancing the vata dosha:-

• Food must not be totally dry. Have the food cooked in a little bit of fat.
• Almonds and almond oil are especially beneficial in the treatment of hysteria through diet.
• Do not consume dry fruits. Prefer fruits with higher water content, such as oranges, papayas, watermelons, cantaloupes, mangoes, etc.
• Having cold foods like ice-creams once in a while is good for reducing the vitiation of the vata dosha.

For balancing the rajas guna:-

• Aggravating foods such as coffee, tea and chocolates must be avoided.
• Smoking aggravates the rajas guna and must be avoided.
• The same is true for all kinds of drugs, whether therapeutic or psychotic.

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Being a condition that is known since ancient times, there have been many herbs discovered with potencies to treat the ailment. The following is a list of the commonly used herbs for the treatment of hysteria with their curative actions on the human body:-

The herbs mentioned above have been expertly mixed into preparations. These preparations contain just the right proportions of herbs so as not to produce major side effects. The following are some herbs that are effective in the treatment of hysteria:-

It must be borne in mind that while taking any Ayurvedic preparation, the doctor must be consulted first. Most of the herbs do not have any side-effects (and are indeed a regular part of the diet), but some people may be allergic to certain herbs and may show adverse reactions.

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