The symptom as stigma or communication in hysteria

Abstract

Certain aspects of the history of hysteria from 1882 to the present day are discussed. Freud's discoveries about hysteria are contrasted with those of Janet, and it is shown how Freud, by treating the hysteric in a new setting, was able to reformulate his conception of the hysterical symptom so that it might be seen as a communication rather than as a stigma. This contrast between the views of Freud and Janet about the nature of the hysterical symptom is shown to be reflected in the current confusion about the concept of hysteria, and is also illustrated by means of two case histories, in both of which a change in the therapeutic setting led to a corresponding change in the understanding of the illness involved. The implications of these observations for the understanding of the history of hysteria are discussed.