By Heather Coe Clark
hys·te·ri·a
“For centuries, doctors readily diagnosed women with “hysteria,” an alleged mental health condition that explained away any behaviors or symptoms that made men…uncomfortable.”
All great stories have a hero and a villain and often the villain’s side of those stories is never told. The first woman, the “original” sinner Eve, became the world’s first villain.
The acceptance of the story that she was the one that took that first bite of something sweet but deadly, created a narrative that would both control and guilt females for thousands of years into thinking that they were inherently bad. That they required a man’s superiority to be fulfilled and behave in an appropriate manner. To all the men out there that continue to think that this first decision to take that notorious bite gives them authority to control us I say, “How do they know it wasn’t you?” Maybe it was a man that took that first bite and threw Eve under the bus when confronted. What is the world’s first outlaw’s side of the story? What would the story of a female villain look like today?
The History of Hysteria
The wandering womb as it was known by the great philosophers in Greece, hystera was thought to cause physical and emotional distress in females. The notion of a hysterical woman has existed since ancient times and became an official medical condition in the 18th century. It soon became one of the most diagnosed disorders in the world of medicine for the next two centuries and stayed the course until 1980. Although men could be diagnosed with it, French physicians decided that females were more prone to it, because they were of an irritable nature and lazy. The French physician, François Boissier de Sauvages who published works on the ailment, agreed that “this condition primarily affected women, and that men are only rarely hysterical.”
The buzz word and the partisan concept of hysteria has captured the attention of both men and women for centuries. Differing opinions on its medical authenticity are as different as its treatments. None as disturbing as the theory that the root cause of it for women was a lack of sexual gratification, which male doctors believed was part of their duty as physicians to remedy in the doctor’s office with their female patients. Followed by an equally disturbing theory that removing the uterus or performing a hysterectomy would cure emotional instability. It soon became an umbrella term to describe any physical or mental perceived ailment a female may have, when in truth it was used as a weapon to silence females to take away their autonomy, and force them into an agreeable state.
Empower
Turning stereotypes inside out and staking a claim to the beautiful madness of females led to the creation of The Hysteria Tribe. Taking back the shackles of our past confinement under a false diagnosis and mass perception of emotional instability we can now embrace the label and wear it proudly. We can empower ourselves with the knowledge that the collective mindset does not dictate our ability to succeed and be treated as equals. When women come together they bring great change. They are a force to be reckoned with and I dare say are even feared. If they are going to make us into villains then I say let’s embrace our inner villainess.
Give Purpose
With purpose comes action to propel you into the next level or your own evolution. Purpose beyond the societal limitations on what we can contribute beyond the front door, will impact long held beliefs about norms and roles of women and bring about change. Demonstrating that the world will benefit from the female perspective. Whether that purpose is large or small it is yours to keep and to grow and do with whatever you choose. A shift is happening and will continue as we come together and support each other.
Increase Strength
With the heavy burden that has been placed on the shoulders of women from that very first story of a hero and a villian, we have continued to demonstrate strength and tenacity in every situation. Scaling the barriers in the never ending maze of life may make us feel that we don’t have the strength or fortitude to go on, but somehow, someway we always show up and most importantly we survive. Maybe being labeled as the villain all these years has forced us to be fighters, to evolve and to rise. In this garden that we keep, the roses bloom the most, beauty at a cost when you get too close. I am the original outlaw.
Here is to Miss Eve, if she were here today I would buy her an apple martini.
Cheers!”
Sincerely Yours,
Heather Coe Clark
“Strong Women….May We Be Them.…May We Know Them….May We Raise Them.”
– Maya Angelou
