Female Hysteria - Hysteria was a common diagnosis for feisty and disobedient women, dating back to Ancient Greece. Greek philosophers, including Hippocrates and Plato, viewed the womb as a living creature that wandered through a woman’s body, often causing disease. In fact, the word “hysteria” is derived from the Greek word for uterus (hysteria). The most common prescriptions for hysteria were, of course, sex and masturbation, sometimes performed by the doctor himself, until the patient experienced “hysterical paroxysm” (orgasm).

Homosexuality - Many forget that homosexuality was, and is still, considered a mental disorder by many. The American Psychiatric Association did not declassify homosexuality as a mental illness until 1973. Gays were considered mentally ill in China until 2001, after 5 years of intensive study by the Chinese Society of Psychiatry. In many countries around the world, gays are still considered insane and immoral, facing punishment, ostracism and even death.

Drapetomania - Drapetomania was a purported mental illness that caused black slaves to flee captivity, described by American doctor Samuel Cartwright, in 1851. According to Cartwright, the illness resulted from masters who “made themselves too familiar with [slaves], treating them as equals” and prescribed “whipping the devil out of them” as a “preventative measure.”

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