Final answer:
Freud described the symptoms of hysteria as resulting from psychic conflicts stemming from repressed memories and psychological trauma, often related to sexual abuse experienced in childhood.
Step-by-step explanation:
Freud’s early view of hysteria described the symptoms as resulting from psychic conflicts rather than neurological disorders, environmental factors, or other previously considered causes. Freud's perspective marked a distinct shift from earlier beliefs that attributed hysteria to physical ailments or the female anatomy. His work with "hysterical" patients led to the foundational belief that these symptoms were, in fact, the physical manifestations of unresolved psychological trauma, often related to sexual abuse experienced in childhood. Importantly, he theorized that such traumas were not consciously remembered but were instead repressed memories that resided within the unconscious mind. These repressed memories, Freud suggested, caused a range of symptoms due to unresolved inner conflicts between an individual’s desires and societal expectations.