Schizophrenia is a serious, chronic mental disorder that causes a person to perceive reality in abnormal ways and behave inappropriately. Catatonic episodes are a severe manifestation of this disease and may last for only minutes or for many weeks. This type of schizophrenia now is rare in industrialized countries because of improved treatment.
Physical Immobility
Physical immobility is the most definitive symptom of catatonic schizophrenia. The patient may be unwilling to move and may pose in a stiff and rigid manner. He is completely withdrawn and seems unaware of his surroundings.
Waxy Flexibility
Another related symptom is waxy flexibility. People experiencing this type of episode do not move unless someone else moves them. If their arms or legs are placed into a certain position, they stay in that position.
Excessive Mobility
In contrast, some people with catatonic schizophrenia show excessive and purposeless mobility that is not influenced by external stimuli. They may whirl their arms or pace rapidly.
Resistance and Compliance
A patient in a catatonic schizophrenic episode may not respond to instructions. If someone tries to move her, she may move in the opposite direction. In contrast, the person may show "command automatism," where she automatically complies with any instruction.
Other Abnormal Behavior
People with catatonic schizophrenia may pose in bizarre ways or grimace for long periods of time. They might perform repetitive and unusual mannerisms, such as waving an arm or saying a word over and over.
Copying Other People
Catatonic schizophrenics also sometimes copy other people, repeatedly saying a word or phrase they have recently heard, or performing a gesture somebody else recently did.
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