From 'hysteria' to functional neurological disorder: A sociolinguistic accounting of stigma

Abstract

People with functional neurological disorders (FND) are rendered invisible through stigma surrounding what – and who – is deemed medically ‘worthy’. Accusations of ‘hysteria’ and ‘malingering’ and being told ‘it’s all in your head’ are rooted in ideologies around gender and medical dualisms that contribute to the frequent erasure of FND experiences. A sociolinguistic approach that “walks backward into the future” can shed light on the powerful ways that language maintains this systemic marginalisation, and inform more equitable healthcare. In this seminar, I outline the recent ethnographic phase of my research in the UK and Europe. As well as visiting La Salpêtrière in Paris and exploring the Charcot era (the ‘heyday of hysteria’ in the late 1800s), I spent time with leading neurologists, gender experts, and medical sociologists. I highlight the affordances of this international interdisciplinary approach, and outline the project’s next steps in the Aotearoa context.