Hysterical Blindness

Hysterical blindness is an obsolete term for conversion disorder (CD). Patients with CD present with different kinds of neurological symptoms such as blindness, seizures, numbness, or paralysis. However, such conditions do not have significant organic bases and may be caused by psychological factors such as anxiety, depression, or stress. However, it is possible for some cases to have no identifiable psychological triggers. For instance, a college student suddenly could not see and when she was examined by physicians, they could not detect any physiological cause. She was then referred to a psychiatrist and went through psychotherapy with hypnosis. She then regained her sight after several months.