By Ann E. Lowry
“Stop being so hysterical!”
We’ve heard it said to others and perhaps we’ve even had the accusation directed toward us. The practice of labeling a person as hysterical may seem harmless, but in fact, it is not.
Until 1980, when it was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), hysteria was a mental illness. The term hysteria is derived from the Latin word for uterus. In previous centuries, physicians believed that hysteria was something predominantly associated with the uterus, thus a female “disease.”
Others proposed that women were hysterical because they were grieving the loss (metaphorically speaking) of their penises. Eighteenth century French physician Joseph Raulin also proposed that women were more predisposed to hysteria than men due to their “lazy and irritable nature.”
Identifying women as hysterical has been used as a tactic to assert control over them. In some cases, women were institutionalized for it. The diagnosis was often used against women who defied societal norms—whether by being assertive, sexually independent, or rebelling against traditional roles.
And it was fairly easy to be diagnosed with hysteria. The symptoms included: mood swings to lack of interest in sex or too much interest in sex, to lack of emotional expression or too much emotional expression to fatigue and dizziness. In the early 1900’s the list of symptoms was so long that nearly any breathing person could be diagnosed with hysteria.
Treatments for hysteria varied, but in my novel, The Blue Trunk, my main character, Marit, endures three common ones: cold water baths (due to the brain being “on fire”), sleep therapy, and hysterectomy (“uterus on fire”). Since Freud believed that women experienced hysteria because they had penile envy, sexually based treatments, such as pelvic massage to bring a woman to an orgasm and genital mutilation have been speculated to have happened, although researchers are conflicted as to whether or not this treatment did or did not occur.
Labeling someone as hysterical can have a profound psychological impact on them. Being repeatedly told that their feelings and thoughts are irrational can lead to self-doubt and anxiety. They begin to wonder if their emotional responses are rational, when in fact they may well be completely normal.
Even though views on hysteria have changed, the threat of using mental illness as a control for behaviors that are not understood has not passed. The most popular and influential women in the world are frequently deemed insane. Taylor Swift has been called a psychopath, Nancy Pelosi has been called “crazy as a bed bug”, and Mariah Carey was called “moody Mariah.”
The act of calling someone insane when they are not is rooted in patriarchal history. It undermines the voices of women and perpetuates a culture in which women are silenced.
In The Blue Trunk, both of my characters, Marit and Rachel, face the unjust label of mental illness. Each manages to escape, though in different ways and under different circumstances. Marit’s story unfolds in the early 1900s, where her escape from societal constraints is marked by boldness and danger. Rachel, living in modern times, is able to assert control over her situation thanks to the greater degree of agency afforded to women today.
While both stories highlight the evolution of women’s autonomy in the face of oppressive labels, women still must fight against unjust labels.
Never, ever, let them call you hysterical.
Ann E. Lowry’s journey into the realm of storytelling was foretold by a Sedona psychic in 2001. That prophecy became a reality two decades later when Ann discovered a family heirloom, a travel trunk from Norway, which sparked the genesis of her debut novel, ‘The Blue Trunk‘. A writer her entire life, Ann holds a Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Minnesota. Alongside her passion for fiction, she has contributed to academic journals, penned thought-provoking opinion pieces, and crafted engaging content for online platforms. Ann and her spouse, Karen, and fur child, Loki, live in Timnath, Colorado, where they enjoy the beauty of nature daily. Learn more about Ann at: www.annlowry.com
ABOUT THE BOOK: When Ann Lowry inherited an ancestor’s blue travel trunk, she had no idea that this artifact was about to take her on a three-year journey of discovery. She was told that the trunk’s previous owner, a great-great aunt, had been institutionalized for insanity. Despite meticulous genealogy research, she was unable to uncover any facts about her and concluded that she must have spent her entire adult life in an asylum. Lowry was inspired to write The Blue Trunk, (Sept. 10, 2024, Koehler Books) to help reclaim her ancestor’s voice and shed light on these all-too-common institutionalizations. Seamlessly weaving historical fiction with contemporary life, Lowry’s tale explores identity, strength, and connection across decades. Rachel Jackson’s idyllic life takes a dramatic turn when she discovers a woman’s scarf in her politician husband’s computer bag. But in an election year, seeking answers to questions of infidelity is not an option. When her mother gives her a family heirloom, a travel trunk owned by an ancestor, she finds a distraction. As she immerses herself in its contents, she discovers a woman whose life is vastly different from her own. Or is it? Determined to dispel the notion that her ancestor Marit was insane, Rachel sets out to unveil her unknown story. In the interwoven narratives of these two women, who are bound by blood and a shared struggle, ‘The Blue Trunk’ is a poignant exploration of identity, love, and unwavering strength.
