The article critiques Aida Edemariam's assertion that the mind/body divide has long underpinned Western thought and medicine. It highlights historical figures like Samuel Taylor Coleridge and John Haygarth, who recognized the interplay between mental and physical health through terms like 'psychosomatic' and 'placebo.' The influence of figures like Franz Anton Mesmer and Sigmund Freud further illustrates how the treatment of so-called hysterical women introduced psychosomatic concepts. Additionally, it addresses how the history of psychosomatic medicine has often marginalized women's health concerns, calling for a reevaluation of gender narratives in this field.
The conceptual division between mind and body has underpinned western culture, yet historical figures like Coleridge and Haygarth reveal early connections between mental and physical health.
Coleridge's term "psychosomatic" and Haygarth's work illustrate a long history of exploring the connection between imagination and physical ailments, challenging the dichotomy of illness.
Freud's insights on repression and its symptoms were influenced by observations of hysterics, highlighting the deep-rooted relationship between body and mind.
The gendered nature of psychosomatic medicine historically relegates women’s health issues to a lesser narrative, illustrating how history often airbrushes feminine contributions.
Collection
[
|
...
]