April 30, 2022. In this post I discuss how 19th century hysteria, a mysterious group of symptoms observed only in women, led to the misconception that anorexia nervosa is not a true illness.
Key Points:
Anorexia was first considered a type of hysteria.
Reformation in how we care for mental illness helped define anorexia as its own disorder.
While many symptoms of anorexia don't have medical explanations yet, this doesn't mean they aren't real.
Educating the public about medical explanations for anorexia could reduce its stigma.
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