Genital stimulation as a treatment for “hysteria” in women
Hysteria, historically, was a medical diagnosis attributed primarily to women, characterized by a wide array of physical and psychological symptoms with no identifiable organic cause. These symptoms included anxiety, nervousness, emotional outbursts, depression, insomnia, muscle spasms, shortness of breath, sexual dissatisfaction, and even temporary paralysis. Hysteria was often considered a “catch-all” term for any behavior or condition in women that deviated from societal expectations or norms.
Historical Origins
The term “hysteria” comes from the Greek word hystera, meaning uterus. Ancient Greek physicians like Hippocrates believed that hysteria was caused by a “wandering womb” that traveled through the female body, disrupting bodily functions. This idea persisted for centuries, and hysteria was consistently linked to the female reproductive system.
In the 19th century, hysteria was still seen as primarily a female disorder, rooted in sexual or emotional dysfunction. Women experiencing symptoms of hysteria were thought to be suffering from a lack of sexual fulfillment or repressed emotions, and their symptoms were often misunderstood or exaggerated by the male-dominated medical field.
19th Century and Victorian Era
During the Victorian era, hysteria became a widespread diagnosis for women who exhibited a range of symptoms. These could include:
- Nervousness and anxiety
- Fainting spells
- Sexual frustration or dissatisfaction
- Depression or melancholy
- Excessive talking or laughter
- Fits of anger or crying
- Paralyzing fear or even temporary paralysis
- Loss of appetite or overeating
- “Erotic fantasy” or inappropriate sexual behavior
The causes of hysteria were often believed to be related to the repression of women’s desires or dissatisfaction in their roles as wives and mothers.
Treatments for Hysteria
The treatments for hysteria in the 19th century were as varied as the symptoms. These included:
- Rest cures: Women were often confined to bed rest, restricted from intellectual or creative activities, under the assumption that they were overstimulated.
- Hydrotherapy: Cold or hot water baths were used as a calming or invigorating treatment.
- Manual or mechanical genital stimulation: As discussed earlier, doctors would perform manual stimulation of the genitals, which was believed to relieve “hysterical paroxysm” (orgasm), thought to release built-up tension causing hysteria.
- Hysterectomy: In extreme cases, women might have their uterus removed under the belief that it would cure them of hysteria.
Modern Understanding
Today, hysteria is no longer a recognized medical diagnosis. The symptoms historically associated with hysteria are now understood to represent a variety of mental health conditions, including:
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
- Conversion disorder (previously called “hysterical neurosis,” where psychological stress is converted into physical symptoms)
- Psychosomatic disorders
- Sexual dysfunction
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as psychology and psychiatry advanced, doctors like Sigmund Freud and Jean-Martin Charcot explored hysteria as a psychological phenomenon. Freud theorized that hysteria stemmed from repressed sexual desires and unconscious conflicts, marking a shift away from the earlier focus on the female reproductive system.
By the mid-20th century, with advancements in psychology and psychiatry, hysteria became an outdated and discredited diagnosis. Today, mental health professionals treat symptoms like anxiety, depression, and psychosomatic disorders with therapy, medication, and other evidence-based treatments.
In Popular Culture
Hysteria has often been a reflection of societal attitudes towards women. Throughout history, it was frequently used to pathologize behaviors in women that were considered undesirable or inappropriate according to the social norms of the time. It played a significant role in limiting women’s autonomy and in marginalizing those who challenged conventional gender roles.
Origins of Genital Stimulation Treatment
In the 19th century, some physicians used genital stimulation as a treatment for “hysteria” in women. Hysteria was a catch-all diagnosis for a wide range of symptoms in women, including anxiety, insomnia, irritability, nervousness, and even physical pain, which were often attributed to sexual or emotional dysfunction. This condition was widely misunderstood at the time, and the medical establishment saw it as a disorder of the female reproductive system.
The treatment involved manual stimulation of the genitals by doctors to bring about “hysterical paroxysm,” which we now recognize as an orgasm. This practice was believed to temporarily alleviate the symptoms of hysteria by releasing built-up sexual tension. It was a common treatment well into the late 19th century.
One of the most notable figures who contributed to this practice was Dr. Joseph Mortimer Granville, although it’s important to clarify that Granville did not invent this treatment but rather invented an early form of the vibrator to reduce doctors’ fatigue when performing this labor-intensive method. Granville actually intended the device for use on men for muscular pain, but it quickly became adapted by other physicians for treating female patients.
The use of manual or mechanical stimulation in this way was based on the belief that women could not experience sexual pleasure in the same way men did and that hysteria was caused by a lack of sexual release. While this treatment is disturbing by modern standards, it reflected the limited understanding of female sexuality at the time.
Sigmund Freud himself did address the topic of female sexuality and masturbation, but he did not advocate for it as a formal medical treatment. Freud’s views on female sexuality, especially in the context of his psychoanalytic theories, were quite controversial. He theorized that unresolved sexual conflicts could contribute to psychological distress, but his ideas were often framed within the societal norms of his time, which were quite restrictive regarding female sexuality.
In particular, Freud’s concept of “hysteria,” a condition he believed was rooted in sexual repression, often involved the idea that women suffered from psychological issues due to unsatisfied sexual desires. Although Freud didn’t prescribe masturbation as a treatment for women, his theories contributed to discussions around sexuality and mental health. During Freud’s time, some doctors did use genital stimulation as a treatment for “hysteria” in women, but this was not directly tied to Freud’s psychoanalytic methods.
Freud himself focused more on understanding psychological dynamics like repression, guilt, and the unconscious mind rather than recommending specific physical treatments like masturbation.
By the early 20th century, the understanding of mental health and female sexuality began to shift, and the practice of treating “hysteria” with genital stimulation largely disappeared. The entire concept of hysteria as a medical condition was eventually discredited.
The invention of genital stimulation
The invention of genital stimulation as a treatment for hysteria is difficult to attribute to a single individual, as it was part of a broader, longstanding medical practice based on misconceptions about female physiology and psychology. However, the use of manual genital stimulation by physicians to treat “hysteria” became more formalized during the 19th century.
This treatment method was not “invented” in the modern sense but rather evolved from ancient ideas about hysteria, which was believed to be caused by a “wandering womb” or other reproductive dysfunctions. The notion that hysteria stemmed from issues related to sexual frustration and the reproductive system can be traced back to ancient Greek medicine, including the work of Hippocrates and Galen.
By the Victorian era, physicians commonly believed that relieving a woman’s sexual tension through genital stimulation could alleviate symptoms of hysteria. During this period, the treatment became widespread, but no single doctor is credited with its creation. Rather, it emerged out of the medical consensus of the time.
Physicians of the 19th century did not necessarily see the practice as sexual; rather, it was viewed as a legitimate medical intervention for what they saw as a physical condition. It was only in hindsight, as modern understandings of female sexuality and mental health developed, that this practice was seen as misguided and invasive.
An Extra Medical Mention of Treatment of Hysteria
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, a famous American writer, and feminist, indirectly touched on the topic of hysteria treatment in her autobiographical short story The Yellow Wallpaper (1892). Though she was not directly treated with genital stimulation, she was subjected to a “rest cure” by Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell, a prominent neurologist who treated hysteria by restricting women from creative or intellectual activities. This was another approach to dealing with hysteria, focusing on isolation and inactivity. Gilman’s critique of such treatments highlights the broader mistreatment of women diagnosed with hysteria.
There are many instances where patients fell in love with their doctors due to this treatment, which is the concept of “transference” in psychoanalysis, which Sigmund Freud later developed, describes how patients can project feelings of affection, love, or even sexual attraction onto their therapist or doctor as part of the therapeutic relationship. This phenomenon, though not specific to genital stimulation, was noted in various forms of treatment, where patients, especially women, might form emotional attachments to male doctors.
