Creating Hysteria

One Woman's Story; The History; The Epidemic; The Therapy; The Science; The Crisis; The Attack; The Retrenchment; The Effects; The Intellectuals; Women; Notes; Bibliography; Index; About the Author.

JOAN ACOCELLA coauthored the textbook Abnormal Psychology: Current Perspectives, now in its eighth edition. A staff writer for The New Yorker, she is the author of Mark Morris (1993) and the editor of The Diary of Vaslav Nijinsky (1999).

"At long last we have a volume that takes a hard look at the "epidemic" of multiple personality disorders and comes up with some surprising conclusions." (Aaron T. Beck, M.D., University Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania)"Creating Hysteria exposes one of the most frightening mental roller coaster rides taken by thousands of people in modern times. Joan Acocella brilliantly illuminates how the mental health profession spearheaded, perhaps inadvertently, a fin-de-siecle hysteria, the fallout from which will take us into the next millennium. Anyone who has ever been interested in mental health should read this book." (Elizabeth Loftus, president, American Psychological Society)"A remarkable expose of an embarrassing and mischievous epidemic instigated by a small group of 'multiple personality' proponents. This book provides ample warning for patients and therapists alike." (Herbert Spiegel, pschiatrist, expert on "Sybil" case)"Multiple personality disorder is both fascinating and sad, but the story of its recent social evolution is deeply disturbing. Creating Hysteria tells a gripping tale that will captivate anyone interested in the pathology of the human mind and the cultural forces that shape it." (Daniel L. Schacter, professor and chair of psychology, Harvard University)"As Acocella makes devastatingly clear, MPD was a disease essentially created by unethical or incompetent therapists and imposed upon their vulnerable female patients. Creating Hysteria tells a sorrowful, infuriating story that compels and deserves attention." (WAndy Kaminer, public policy fellow, Radcliffe College)