Catatonia is a disorder that disrupts a person’s awareness of the world around them. People with this condition sometimes react very little or not at all to their surroundings, or might behave in ways that are unusual, unexpected or unsafe to themselves or others. Use the adjective catatonic to describe someone who is in an unresponsive stupor, as if suffering from a mental disorder. Sometimes in the summer it gets so hot that people lose all their energy and get catatonic. The meaning of CATATONIC is of, relating to, marked by, or affected with catatonia. How to use catatonic in a sentence. Catatonic depression is when catatonia occurs with major depressive disorder. Symptoms of catatonia include immobility, mutism, and unusual behaviors. Catatonic depression is highly treatable when found early, but complications can arise without care. Catatonic behavior is a syndrome marked by severe disruptions in movement, speech, and responsiveness, ranging from frozen immobility to bursts of agitated, purposeless motion. If someone is catatonic, they are stiff and not moving or reacting, as if dead. Elizabeth was a catatonic schizophrenic who did not speak or move, except for some waxy posturing. There are several subtypes of catatonia recognized: stuporous catatonia, excited catatonia, malignant catatonia, and periodic catatonia. Subtypes are defined by the group of symptoms and associated features that a person is experiencing or displaying. Catatonic describes a state in which a person loses the ability to move, speak, or respond normally, even though they’re awake. It’s not a disease on its own but a syndrome, a cluster of behavioral and motor symptoms that can appear alongside psychiatric conditions, neurological problems, or serious medical illnesses. Also called catatonic state. —catatonic adj. in ego psychology, a feeling of hostility and resentment toward the parents that develops as a result of the basic anxiety that the infant feels at being dependent on them. What Is Catatonia? Catatonia is a group of symptoms that usually involve a lack of movement and communication but can also include agitation, confusion, and restlessness.