The Madness of Fear: A History of Catatonia

This book is incredibly well researched, thorough, informative and interesting. The case examples are fascinating. The books goes through a history of how our current understandings and classification of catatonia have developed. The history focuses on catatonia but is also an excellent primer to how our current conceptions/misconceptions about mood disorders and schizophrenia have developed. The concept of catatonia as not only a syndrome associated with other conditions but also as a disease in and of itself "sui generis" is introduced and really resonated with some of my more puzzling experiences as an inpatient psychiatrist. Despite the title alluding to the common theme of fear and terror as part of the catatonic experience I don't feel that this was really the most important assertion in the book but nevertheless also something I have seen in catatonic patients later able to discuss their experience.While the first chapters were fascinating some of the later chapters were my favorites. Chapter 9 about NMS, 11 about place in the DSM, and 12 about catatonia in anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis and autism.My favorite part of the book was a quote from Max Fink at the beginning of chapter 11:"A consensus is emerging that schizophrenia is an ill-defined disorder, an image in the mind of the beholder, without verification by tests or by response to treatment. It is a curse-word applied when the patient frightens the doctor. In a defined "catatonic," if the doctor THINKS the patient is psychotic, he labels him schizophrenic and prescribes neuroleptics. I know of no specific finding that would verify the label of schizophrenia."My advice would be to read Fink and Taylor's Catatonia first and humble yourself to the fact that you have missed catatonia perhaps many times, that your teachers missed it and that patients had poorer outcomes because of this (even significant morbidity or mortality!)

Admittedly, for the most part a book for specialists or for those of unusual curiosity: it's about the history of a disorder, the most bizarre of human conditions. Catatonia. And for those of us whose vocations or curiosities makes this book important at all, it is and will be indispensable.

Awesome words by a great psychiatrist ! an accurate history of catatonia

This is a masterful survey of the history and present status of catatonia. The story epitomizes the very difficult road to discoveries in psychiatry. The witty, sometimes sarcastic style makes for enjoyable reading about a complicated subject.

Interesting book: went in depth on the history of catatonia from a few hundred years ago to the present, it’s symptoms and treatment, and illustrated the great struggle of classifying mental disorders, the difficulty in diagnosing mental disorders (lack of testing), the consequences of misdiagnosis, how diagnoses can written in and out of existence, and the politics of the mental health field.