Analysis of Hysteria: Understanding Conversion and Dissociation, The
Harold Merskey
Conversion and dissociation cover
numerous phenomena and a wide range of ideas. The topic is central
to understanding the relationship between mind and body. This book
provides a survey of the whole range of hysterical phenomena, from
classical paralyses and blindness to questions about hysterical
personality and epidemic hysteria.
Contents
Part I. History and
concepts
- Some traditional concepts
- Early neurological analyses
- The turn of the century
- The contribution of Freud
- Combat hysteria
- Ernst Kretschmer
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
Part II. Motives and
extremes
- Malingering, self-damage and anorexia
nervosa
- Amnesia, pseudodementia and the
Ganser syndrome: denial of illness
- Compensation issues
Part III. Varied causes and
symptoms
- Organic brain disease
- Pain
- Somatisation disorder and
somatisation
- Hypochondriasis
- The diversity of hysterical
complaints
- Epidemic or communicable
hysteria
- Chronic fatigue syndromes
- Children
- Suggestion and hypnotic
phenomena
- 'Multiple personality disorder'
- Dissociation repression and false
memories
Part IV. Individual dynamics
and clinical subgroups
- Personality traits
- Psychoses
- Psychoanalytic concepts
Part V. A
perspective