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| CONVERSION DISORDERS (HYSTERIA)
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Q.
How do I know whether a child has hysteria or she is just faking
her symptoms?
A.
Faking is not hysteria. Hysteria is a true psychiatric disorder.
PERSON DOES NOT DO IT VOLUNTARILY. When a person is faking a symptom
knowingly, it is called malignering.
Q.
How common is hysteria?
A.
Hysteria is not common in children. It is common in females, in
teens and in young adults.
Q.
How does a parent deal with such problem in her child ?
A.
The most appropriate way to deal with such a child is to be persuasive
and firm. Do not pamper the child. Let not the child gain any
empathy and sympathy. The child should learn that he or she is
not going to get anything out of being sick.
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Q.
What is the treatment of hysteria?
A.
Hysteria is of 2 types :-
- Primary
– due to substancial personality disorder. It is difficult
to treat.
- Secondary
– due to anxiety, depression. Treated by treating the
primary cause. Anxiolytics and antidepressants may help in
these patients.
Q.
Would making the patient smell onions, ether or smelly socks abort
the attack?
A.
No
Q.
Is hysteria more common in girls? And if yes, why?
A.
Yes. It probably depends on the way children are brought up. In
a male dominated society, girls are always trained to inhibit
their social ways and the only way out for them is to get things
done by sympathy.
Q.
What are the long-term consequences of hysteria?
A.
A Child with hysteria has to learn a lot. Conversion disorders
can lead to long term disturbances like chronic maladaptive behaviour.
As adults these individuals may like to flirt, are vivacious but
frigid. They may get into lot of conflict with people. They would
always be attention seeking and may even be sort of an exhibitionist.
They would have essentially interpersonal difficulties, would
not be able to stick to a single job. In the extreme case, they
may even develop schizophrenia.
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Last
created on 22-10-2001
Last
updated on 18-11-2006
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