VALENTINE, Neb. – For centuries, women showing signs of stress, sadness, or even independence could be diagnosed with “hysteria.” The outdated term once covered everything from anxiety and insomnia to simply being “difficult.”

Today, that diagnosis is long gone—but researchers are uncovering the truth behind the women who were once labeled as “hysterical” and locked away.

Humanities Nebraska scholar Nancy Johnson recently brought her presentation, "Myths of Women's Madness on the Plain," to Valentine, sharing her research into how mental illness was viewed and treated during pioneer days.

“It was almost looked at as a crime because if it wasn’t a close family member, it was the sheriff that would take them to the asylum,” Johnson said.

One of the biggest misconceptions, she said, is that far more women than men were institutionalized.

“Number one would be that there were more women than men. I would say that was not true. It was probably pretty even,” Johnson said.

A quick look through old Valentine area newspapers supports that claim, showing more stories about men being labeled as insane than women.

“When men suffered mental illness during that time, it was either because they were financially troubled, or they were ill, or they had lost in love,” Johnson said. “But when it was a woman, no one could figure out why. Everything was just fine with her.”

Regardless of gender, the stigma was severe. “A moral failing,” Johnson said.

Being sent to an asylum often carried deep shame—and sometimes it wasn’t even voluntary. People could be locked away for any number of reasons, from mental illness to simply being “different” or hard to control.

An 1896 article in The Valentine Democrat described asylum patients being given hypodermic injections, but Johnson said those treatments often made things worse.

“Cocaine, opium, a lot of alcohol,” Johnson said.

Those who died in Nebraska asylums were sometimes buried at nearby cemeteries without their names.

“There are little cement bricks, and they just have a number on them,” Johnson said. “For a long time, it was really difficult to find out who was buried, especially in the Hastings and Norfolk cemeteries. Now those lists have been compiled to the best of anyone’s abilities.”

Johnson said she’s grateful for advances in medicine and more open conversations about mental health today.

“And people are more accepting, although there is still a great stigma when we talk about mental health issues,” she said.

By uncovering the stories of those once dismissed as “hysterical,” Johnson hopes to remind people to show compassion rather than judgment when it comes to mental illness.