The Concept of Hysteria

In the XIX century, it was said that hysteria was a mental disease related to the uterus, thus a women’s predicament.

Let’s think a bit more about this interesting concept.
When we speak of hysteria we immediately visualise a dishevelled woman, with devilish red lipstick on, wearing a black mini-skirt, a purple bra; with baby-blue socks sinking into pink slippers; screaming her lungs out at her husband/partner.
We never imagine a guy losing it no matter how pro-femina or feminist we may be.

Men do scream (ask Latin guys). They, too, are hysterical. However when hysteria hits them, instead of visualising an unshaved man wearing nothing but briefs, black socks buried in dusty shoes, holding a beer can in his hand and trying to conceal a serious sexual dysfunction; we tell ourselves that some crazy woman must have caused him to lose his mind.

The concept of hysteria has been gilded. We are not comfortable with men being hysterical (because somehow we are all convinced that males are the keepers of the world’s security and balance) and since political correctness [once again] binds us to appease the feminist fringes; we choose to ignore hysterical manifestations by labelling them as PMS; thus, tacitly agreeing with the XIX century theory.

But I beg to differ: hysteria may well be caused by the X chromosome; the very same chromosome that is carried by each and every human being.

Image: Adam & Eve by Hans Baldung Grien