Schizophrenia is one of the most common mental illnesses. Catatonic schizophrenia is its less common variation, characterized by a sharp change in periods of apathy and arousal. Moreover, during the period of apathy, rigid immobility is observed (despite the fact that the muscles of the limbs do not perform a motor function, they are tense, and therefore the patient's limbs are rigid). During the period of excitement, the patient talks a lot and loudly, makes erratic movements with his hands, can move aimlessly, look around nervously.
Unlike many other types of schizophrenia, this one is easily cured with medication.
The main companion of catatonic schizophrenia is catatonic syndrome, which is a mental disorder, the main manifestation of which is impaired motor function. More precisely, this disorder is not one syndrome, but a whole group. Like any other mental illness, catatonic syndrome progresses as it develops, and treatment is the simplest and mostfast at the initial stage of the disease. That is why it is so important to be able to recognize the first symptoms of catatonia and sound the alarm.
So, this syndrome has two stages: catatonic excitement and catatonic stupor. It is their change that characterizes him.
Catonic arousal can take three forms.
The first - pathetic - is characterized by moderate excitement, elevated mood. Unreasonable laughter and the presence of pathos in speech are possible. Consciousness is not clouded.
The second - impulsive - is characterized by a sharp increase in excitation. The movements are chaotic, destructive, often violent. Speech is disturbed, consists of separate, often incoherent phrases. When the peak of arousal is reached, patients become silent, and their actions become self-destructive.
The third form - silent - is characterized by the complete absence of speech, the presence of aggression, chaotic and destructive actions.
Catonic stupor also has more than one form - there are four of them.
The first form, also called the substuporous state, is not a stupor in the usual sense of the word and therefore may not be recognized by an inexperienced person. It is characterized by slowness of movements, a violation of the coherence of speech, its slowdown. This form is the first stage of the disease and is usually combined with the first form of arousal.
Catatonic stupor of the second form, also called cataleptic or Celsius disease, is characterized by the so-called"wax flexibility". The patient freezes in any position, often uncomfortable. Does not respond to attempts to speak to him, only comes out of his stupor in silence.
The third form - negativistic stupor - differs in that the patient resists the attempts of others to change the position in which he is frozen. Even weak people can put up strong resistance.
The fourth form - catatonic stupor with numbness - has the greatest severity. Patients most often freeze in the fetal position, may not come out of stupor for a long time.
