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TED-Ed

What is hysteria, and why were so many women diagnosed with it? - Mark S. Micale

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2,217 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

Do you ever feel tired? Overwhelmed? Depressed? Do you have headaches, dizziness, cramps, difficulty breathing? From 300 BCE to the 1900s, if you answered yes to any of these questions and you had a uterus, a doctor would likely diagnose you with hysteria. So, where did this medical diagnosis come from? And why did it persist for so long? Mark S. Micale traces the history of the catch-all term.

Watch the video and finish the Think section to complete the lesson.


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Meet The Creators

Educator
Mark S. Micale
Director
Laura Jayne Hodkin
Narrator
Bethany Cutmore-Scott
Music
Phil Brookes
Sound Designer
Phil Brookes
Vocal Effects Artist
Annaliese Broughton
Director of Production
Gerta Xhelo
Produced by
Sazia Afrin
Editorial Director
Alex Rosenthal
Editorial Producer
Shannon Odell
Script Editor
Stephanie Honchell Smith
Fact-Checker
Charles Wallace

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