history of abnormal psych: supernatural (14-15th century onwards)

14th century belief symptoms of psychopathology were

because you were possessed by a demon or evil spirit

in 14th century, they would treat psychopathology via

exorcism → believed in making the body inhabitable and uncomfortable for demons and spirits, so they’d leave

14th century belief that if you hung anxious people over a pit of snakes they

would no longer talk about their worries. this is because they learned to just not talk about it out of fear, not because the snakes cured them.

15th century belief that psychopathology was caused by

stress and melancholy. communities took care of people house to house

16th century onwards belief that psychopathology was caused by

possession returned, thought of as divine punishment. treated via exorcism

the term lunatic refers to

the idea that the moon and stars cause psychopathology