Aphrademia
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Aphrademia is defined as the fear of the mentally ill. The article notes that this fear historically stemmed from beliefs about demonic possession and is currently rooted in the perception of the mentally ill as incomprehensible and alien.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
APHRADEMIA (from the Greek aphrades — insane), the fear of the mentally ill. In antiquity and the Middle Ages, this fear stemmed from the notion of the patient being possessed by the devil. The fear is caused by the incomprehensible, alien psychic state of the mentally ill (in the Latin language, the mentally ill and the alien are denoted by the same word — alienus).
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Cite this page
“Aphrademia.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/aphrademia/