The Shaking Woman or A History of My Nerves

Methodology and Conclusions

In "The Shaking Woman or A History of My Nerves," Siri Hustvedt explores the nature and causes of her own episodes of shaking, which she began experiencing after a public appearance. Her methodology includes an interdisciplinary approach that combines personal memories, medical research, philosophical reflections, and historical data on neurological and psychiatric disorders. Hustvedt studies the works of renowned neurologists and psychiatrists, such as Oliver Sacks and Sigmund Freud, to understand how the body and mind interact. She also considers cultural and historical aspects of the perception of nervous disorders. The book's conclusions emphasize the complexity and multifaceted nature of human consciousness, as well as the necessity of integrating various scientific and humanistic approaches to understand psychosomatic phenomena. Hustvedt comes to realize that her condition cannot be explained solely from a medical standpoint and that personal experience and subjective perception play a crucial role in understanding such phenomena.