[A patient who for one year shared his apartment with his dead lady-friend's corpse]

A 58-year old unemployed painter had for one year shared his apartment with his lady-friend's corpse and not talked to anyone about her death. When admitted to our hospital, loss of drive, initiative, interest, psychomotor activity and emotional response as well as poverty of speech were the main clinical features. Not having been able to care for his own vital needs such as food, shelter and protection against cold temperature, he was neglected and suffered from frost-bites. We diagnosed a schizophrenia simplex and initiated neuroleptic treatment using olanzapine. During the course of treatment there was some improvement regarding affect and psychomotor activity, his loss of drive and initiative and indifference regarding his own situation in life did hardly improve.