There are many thematic playlists on this channel. Click on the Playlists tab and you will see, you will come across playlists on every conceivable topic, narcissism, upbringing, an early childhood, the shared fantasy, you name it.
One of the playlists is a mental health dictionary in the making. It already has the entries for the letter A and the letter B. And what comes after A and B? Children and childrenets? Yes, the letter C.
C Señor. C Samuel. C Papa.
The letter C is today’s letter. Catalypsy. Catalypsy is the rigid maintenance of a position of the entire body or of an organ over extended periods of time. It’s also known as waxy flexibility.
Human sculptures are patients who freeze in any posturing position that they are placed in, no matter how painful and unusual. This is very typical of catatonic.
And this leads us of course to catatonia. Catatonia is a syndrome comprised of various signs among which are catatonia, the aforementioned catatonia, mutism, stereotypy, negativism, stupor, automatic obedience, echolalia and echopraxia.
Until recently, catatonia was thought to be related to schizophrenia. But this view has been discredited when the biochemical basis for schizophrenia has been discovered.
The current thinking is that catatonia is an exaggerated form of mania, in other words, an affective disorder. It is a feature of catatonic schizophrenia though and also appears in certain psychotic states and mental disorders that have organic medical roots.
That’s not part of the dictionary.
Now, catatonic behavior, severe motoric abnormalities including stupor or catatonia, motoric immobility, or at the other end of the spectrum, agitated, excessive, purposeless, repeated motoric activity, not in response to external stimuli or triggers.
Also, apparently, motiveless resistance or indifference to attempts to be moved or to being communicated with, extreme negativism as it is known.
Catatonic behavior often comprises mutism, posturing, stereotype motion, echolalia and echopraxia.
CCMD, Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders. Yes, the Chinese have their own DSM. The Chinese equivalent of the DSM is currently in its third edition, edition number three. It recognizes culture-bound syndromes, for example, coral as diagnosable and treatable mental health disorders and lets sets it apart from the DSM.
Seria flexibilities literally works like flexibility. In the common form of catalypsy, the patient offers no resistance to the rearrangement of his limbs or to the realignment of her posture. In seria flexibilities, there is some resistance, though it is very mild, much like the resistance of a sculpture made of soft wax.
Hence, of course, the word seria wax.
Circumstantiality. Don’t you just love these ten-dollar works?
Circumstantiality, when the train of thought and speech is often derailed by unrelated digressions based on chaotic associations.
The patient finally succeeds to express his or her main idea, but only after much effort and wandering.
In extreme cases, considered to be a communication disorder. It’s a bit reminiscent of word salad in psychotic disorders.
Clang associations. Rhymming or punning associations of words with no logical connection or any discernible relationship between the words.
Typical of manic episodes, psychotic states, and schizophrenia.
Clouding, also known as clouding of consciousness. The patient is wide awake, wide awake, but his or her awareness of the environment is partial, distorted, or impaired. Clouding also occurs when one gradually loses consciousness, for instance, as a result of intense pain or a lack of oxygen.
Apropos lack of oxygen, cognitive dissonance. Actually, apropos extreme pain, cognitive dissonance. When someone holds simultaneously two conflicting views, thoughts, values, or bits of information which call for diametrically opposed decisions or actions.
This state of things generates an inner conflict and triggers several primitive, infantile defense mechanisms, such as denial, splitting, projection, and reaction formation.
Next, in the letter C of the mental health dictionary, compulsion, involuntary repetition of a stereotyped and ritualistic action or movement, usually in connection with a wish or a fear.
The patient is aware of the irrationality of the compulsive act. In other words, she knows that there is no real connection between her fears and wishes and what she’s repeatedly compelled to do.
Most compulsive patients find their compulsions tedious, bothersome, distressing, and unpleasant.
But resisting the urge results in mounting anxiety from which only the compulsive act provides much needed relief.
Compulsions are common in obsessive-compulsive disorders, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder, OCPD, and in certain types of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a superstar in the letter C.
Concrete thinking, inability, or diminished capacity to form obstructions or to think using abstract categories. The patient is unable to consider and formulate hypotheses or to grasp and apply metaphors.
Only one layer of meaning is attributed to each word or phrase, and figures of speech are taken literally.
Consequently, nuances are not detected or appreciated. It is a common feature of schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, and certain organic disorder.
Concrete thinking, confabulation, the constant and unnecessary fabrication of information or events to fill in gaps in the patient’s memory, biography, or knowledge, or to substitute for unacceptable reality. It is common in schizophrenia, in certain types of cluster B personality disorders, for example, narcissistic, histrionic, borderline, and dissocial, in organic memory impairment, Cossackoff syndrome, dementia, and in the amnestic syndrome, amnesia.
Next, conflict tactics scale or CTS. A diagnostic test invented in 1979. It is a standardized scale of frequency and intensity of conflict resolution tactics, especially abusive strategy used by members of a dyad in a couple.
Confusion, complete the often momentary loss of orientation in relation to one’s location, time, and to other people. Usually the result of impaired memory often occurs in dementia or because of attention deficit, for instance, in delirium.
Also see disorientation when we come to the letter D, which I can hint is after the letter, follows the letter C.
And finally, culture-bound syndrome, recurrent dysfunctional behavior linked to troubling experiences, regarded in a specific location by its native denizens or in a specific culture as aberrant or sick.
And with this optimistic note, we finish the letter C.
See you later with the letter D.
