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Psychogenic seizures--why women?
1Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque 87131-5326, USA.
Psychosomatics
|April 6, 2000
Summary
Psychogenic seizures occur three times more often in women. This study suggests these seizures express rage and helplessness against male dominance and abuse, rather than sexual conflicts.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Psychiatry
- Women's Health
Background:
- Psychogenic seizures (PS) disproportionately affect women, with an incidence approximately threefold higher than in men.
- Historical perspectives by Charcot and Freud linked PS to sexual aspects, a view echoed in current discussions on childhood sexual abuse.
Observation:
- This review and case study analysis challenges the purely sexual interpretation of PS in women.
- The author proposes that PS in women may represent a manifestation of rage, fear, and helplessness.
Findings:
- The findings suggest that PS in women are a response to perceived male dominance and abuse.
- Aggression and helplessness are identified as key emotional components, encompassing the impact of sexual abuse.
Implications:
- Understanding PS in women requires considering aggressive and helplessness components alongside sexual trauma.
- This perspective may inform more effective therapeutic approaches for women experiencing psychogenic seizures.