conversion disorder

American  

noun

Psychiatry.

1. a mental disorder in which physical symptoms, as paralysis or blindness, occur without apparent physical cause and instead appear to result from psychological conflict or need.

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conversion disorder British  

noun

1. a psychological disorder in which severe physical symptoms like blindness or paralysis appear with no apparent physical cause

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Example Sentences

Neil Crouch, from Harlow in Essex, has motor conversion disorder, severe arthritis and suffers from kidney disease.

From BBC • Aug. 21, 2023

Rare conditions can also result from stress and trauma, including functional neurological disorder, or conversion disorder, which affects someone’s ability to see, walk or hear — without any medical explanation.

From Washington Post • Feb. 7, 2022

She also found a way to talk about conversion disorder that put it on a continuum with other, less threatening forms of stress-induced illness.

From New York Times • Mar. 7, 2012

Peter suggested another reason for people to accept the diagnosis of conversion disorder: The way he saw it, it didn’t offer much hope.

From New York Times • Mar. 7, 2012

Now, however, her symptoms have another name: conversion disorder, or mass hysteria.

From Slate • Jan. 31, 2012