Throughout the history of the world, there have been many cases of what is known as collective hysteria - groups of people, usually young women, who all exhibit the same physical symptoms of non-existent conditions. Is it psychosomatic? Is it group think? Find out in this classic episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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The use of the word "hysteria" to describe psychological conditions has sexist connotations due to its history of being used to dismiss and belittle women's health concerns. The term "mass psychogenic disorder" is a more appropriate and neutral term for these conditions.
The podcast discusses mass psychogenic disorder, a phenomenon where people in a group exhibit physical or psycho-somatic symptoms without any physical cause, and can mistakenly be attributed to a disease outbreak, poisoning or other external factors.
This podcast talks about how mass psychogenic disorder can appear like some sort of rapid epidemic and looks like acute toxic exposure or an infectious disease. Such disorders are more prevalent in strict and structured communities.
Researchers have found that a chemical is released during the nocebo effect, and blocking it can also block the effect, preventing someone from experiencing pain even in the absence of any physical cause.
The legitimacy of gluten sensitivity and electromagnetic sensitivity is questioned due to the possibility of collective hysteria, but there are true cases of individuals suffering from both conditions.
The nocebo effect is a phenomena where a negative suggestion or belief can actually bring about negative health effects, even if the suggestion or belief is not based on scientific or medical fact. This can be a major challenge for doctors who have to balance the need to inform their patients with the potential negative consequences of doing so.
The larger the emergency medical response to a psychogenic illness, the higher the risk of it spreading. To prevent this, it is recommended to not name the illness itself.
Gloria Ramirez was a patient in a hospital that left several medical professionals with mysterious illnesses. She exuded a strange smell and had unusual substances in her blood, leading some to believe it was related to a train derailment that occurred years prior.
This podcast episode discusses the history of mass hysteria and the psychological factors contributing to it, including job dissatisfaction and fear of the unknown.
The host discusses his experience dealing with collective hysteria as a fraternal twin and recommends checking out an article on the topic on howstuffworks.com. He also mentions a talented comic book artist and reads some listener mail.
Promoting the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, and other platforms to listen to podcasts like "Maniwok Caves" and "On Purpose with Jay Shetty."