Hysteria, in its colloquial use, describes a state of mind, one of unmanageable fear or emotional excesses. The fear's often caused by multiple events in one's past that involved some sort of severe conflict; the fear can be centered on a body part or most commonly on an imagined problem with that body part (disease's a common complaint). See also Body dysmorphic disorder and Hypochondriasis. People who're "hysterical" often lose self-control due to the overwhelming fear. Psychiatrists and other… (More on Hysteria)