Psychotic and obsessive symptoms: A case report

Abstract

A 28-year-old patient who began three months of symptoms of low mood, apathy and anhedonia. The patient in this last month had accepted a job but the first day had left by “feeling incapable”. He asked for specialized help. He was diagnosed with severe depressive episode and antidepressant treatment. Some weeks of patient treatment did not improve. He began to voice greater feelings of hopelessness and ideas of active death secondary to his process. He was admitted a partial hospitalization for further control and evaluation. In his evolution, visual hallucinations and a mild delusional ideation of unstructured surveillance and injury were observed. The patient verbalized with little repercussion these sensoperceptive alterations. Neuroleptic treatment was given but we could not manage high doses because of poor tolerance and side effects of treatment. The symptomatology did not improve and the patient's anguish increased. In the moments of greater distress, the patient performed superficial cuts on his forearms that he criticized. During the following months, symptoms of an obsessive type were observed, which had already pre-entered but had been reactivated. He began to perform rituals of verification with important repercussion.

Discussion

In the scientific literature the relationship between psychosis and obsession has been studied on many occasions, without reaching firm conclusions. In 2004, Poyurosvsky postulated the possible diagnosis of a subgroup called “schizo-obsessive” that included both disorders.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.