Serious Symptoms Of Catatonic Schizophrenia

Stupor

Stupor, one of the core signs of catatonic schizophrenia, occurs when a patient's reactions to their environment seriously decrease. They may stop reacting to spontaneous events or acknowledging conversation if they're spoken to. They may not look up when a new person enters the room or a loud sound occurs. They typically seem to be detached from their surroundings entirely. Individuals in a stupor might not move much independently at all. Rather than engaging in basic self-care tasks like eating, drinking, and using the bathroom, they may stay confined to one space and look in one direction. When an individual is in a stupor, they will still respond to physical stimulation like having their chest rubbed or being prodded with a needle. This is a serious symptom whether it occurs in catatonic schizophrenia patients or not. If it occurs in someone who does not have a history of schizophrenia or psychosis, it may be a sign of a potentially life-threatening condition that requires emergency medical treatment.

Read more about the major symptoms of catatonic schizophrenia now.

Delusions And Hallucinations

As with the other subtypes of schizophrenia, catatonic schizophrenia tends to present with delusions and hallucinations. Though these aren't the core symptoms, they are still necessary to make a definitive diagnosis of schizophrenia. There is a difference between a hallucination and a delusion. Both are forms of psychosis, which means they involve beliefs or experiences not grounded in reality. Hallucinations are experiences involving an individual's senses. They might see, hear, smell, or taste things that aren't actually there. One of the most common portrayals of schizophrenic hallucinations in media is hearing conversations or voices that haven't actually occurred. Delusions are beliefs not grounded in reality. Even when an individual is presented with evidence that the delusion isn't true, they may continue to believe it. In catatonic schizophrenia, the hallucinations and delusions accompany symptoms of catatonia and movement involvement. Experiencing psychosis isn't always a sign of schizophrenia, but when someone does have hallucinations or delusions, they should be evaluated by a health professional to see if they're being caused by an underlying physical or mental health condition.

Get more details on the signs of catatonic schizophrenia now.