Conversion hysteria

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In classical psychoanalysis, the term conversion hysteria refers to an etiological class of hysteria in which there is a psychological defense reaction that leads to the formation of somatic symptoms. It goes back to the assumptions of Sigmund Freud , who established this class in his contributions to the “ Studies on Hysteria ” of 1895 immediately before the development of the concept of repression and later retained it as the concept of psychological conversion . The term is still used today. The concept is controversial, however, if only because it is known that almost all mental illnesses can also produce somatic symptoms.

According to Freud, an independent form of hysteria in which an affect torn from a representation in the course of psychological defense is redirected (converted) to somatic sensations. Freud used the electrical short circuit as a metaphor . Normally separate cerebral processing centers would get a "brief" contact, after which a nervous function would be disturbed.

Compare also:

• Hypnoid hysteria
• Retention hysteria
• Defense hysteria