Woman awakens after 20 years in catatonic state. The reason may chance psychiatry forever. : The Hearty Soul

It was the year 2000 when medical student Sanders Markx first met April Burrell, who had been living in a psychiatric institution for six years due to severe schizophrenia. Twenty years later, Dr. Markx, now a doctor, managed to bring her back to reality from a catatonic state, potentially changing how we treat psychiatric patients. April’s story reveals her transformation from an overachieving student to a non-communicative patient due to a traumatic event in 1995. With Dr. Markx’s help, they discovered that her condition was caused by an autoimmune disorder affecting her brain, specifically lupus. After intensive immunotherapy treatment, April began to show signs of improvement within weeks. This breakthrough led to the identification and treatment of similar patients, like Devine Cruz, who also experienced significant recovery. These cases have paved the way for new treatments focusing on genetic and autoimmune causes of psychiatric illness. The medical team’s goal is to revolutionize the way we approach and treat mental health disorders.