Maybe he needs the doctor...
On the other hand, there is a group of people who may not only move like zombies, but think they are somewhere between life and death. Before you laugh them off as maniacs, their condition is a real psychiatric problem known as the Cotard’s Syndrome, or the “Walking Corpse Syndrome”.
In 2003 report in the journal Neurology states that this condition is marked by “the fixed and unshakable belief that one has lost organs, blood or body parts” or has no soul.
In an interview with New Scientist , Graham, a victim of this condition, shared about his condition. He felt that he had lost his sense of smell and taste. He did not eat, and he rarely spoke as he felt that anything he did was meaningless. His teeth had turned black because he did not brush them, further convincing him that he was dead. Life became a nightmare as he struggled to find pleasure in life.
Graham was lucky to live to tell the tale. Victims of Cotard’s syndrome have reportedly died of starvation as they did not realise the need to eat. Others tried to use acid to get rid of their bodies in a bid to break free of their zombified state. They are indeed left for dead if they do not receive medical and social support.
It is not known how one ends up in such a state of mind, but some of the symptoms sufferers exhibit, such as lack of appetite, losing interest in things that used to pleasure them, and feeling that life is meaningless, do seem heavily associated with depression. Graham himself had been suffering from depression and attempted suicide by bringing an electrical appliance into the bath with him. The suicide attempt failed, but eight months later, he believed he had fried his brain in the bath.
PET scans of his brain activity were equally befuddling for the doctors, as they resembled that of someone who has been anaesthetised or is asleep.
Fortunately, the condition is not fatal if medical attention is received early. With plenty of psychotherapy and drug treatment, as well as attention from his brother and carers, Graham is on his way to recovery and no longer thinks he is dead. Cotard’s Syndrome is not at all common, but depression, which is far more common, has the potential to lead to fatal problems like Cotard’s Syndrome, and should be addressed early. Never underestimate the complexity and bizarreness of the human mind.
The next time someone tells you, without any tinge of humour, that they feel they are better off dead, don’t be too quick to brush them off.