A Case of a Cotard Delusion

Cotard Syndrome also known as Walking Corpse Syndrome is described as a mental illness wherein the person suffering from it thought that he is already dead. Cotard Delusion is believed to be one of the rarest diseases in the world not to mention that it is really bizarre.

One case happened on a Filipino woman who was named as Ms. L. One day 911 received an emergency call from the family of Ms. L after she complained to her family that she has to be buried since she is already dead, a known sign of Cotard Delusion. She was then admitted to the psychiatric hospital. Ms. L smell like a rotten meat and she insisted that she should be taken in a morgue to be with the other dead corpses. The doctors said that Ms. L has tried to commit suicide which includes burning down the house, emaciating herself, etc.

Ms. L is in constant medication of antidepressant when she was still in the Philippines, but she has to stop the medication when she came to the US due to the fact that she could no longer remember the name of the medicine. When she was taken to the hospital, she was hesitant to take any medication; she would often isolate herself and spend most of her day in bed. She would also refuse to be groomed and she neglected her personal hygiene. These are all prevalent symptoms of Cotard Delusion.

After a month of treatment, Ms. L gradually regains her health and upon dismissal she expresses her willingness to participate in psychiatric evaluation and further treatment for the improvement of her condition. Eventually, his condition of Cotard Delusion has been alleviated.