A survivor's story
Ian Klinghoffer is a physical artist who came to Prague in the early 90's. After a few years he found himself battling with PDRS. This is his story.
"First I want to say that PDRS is a real disease. Some people argue, I believe Alan Levy for example argues that PDRS is a fictitious disease. I take umbrage at these assertions that PDRS is not real. I suffered through it. It nearly killed me. It's real.
In the mid 90's I believed my only chance to escape the city was by hurling myself from a tower. In my delusional state I called it a Farewell Defenestration . I thought I was involved in a performance art piece but in reality it was nothing more than public suicide. I was lucky. A few of my friends intervened to save me. They too were suffering from various forms of PDRS and we were able to help each other exit the city together. Community is essential in surviving PDRS."
What is PDRS?
Prague Delusional Reality Syndrome (PDRS)
Prague Delusional Reality Syndrome or PDRS was first diagnosed by doctoral candidate Phylis Gardner in 1996. Gardner had studied the Prague expatriate scene since 1991 but by 1996 she noticed that many long term expatriates were suffering under a type of trauma that was unique to Prague. This has come to be known as PDRS.
Red Mackey in his film rex-patriates spoke to Gardner about the disease.
| Mackey: | Describe PDRS. |
| Gardner: | Around the third or fourth year what we call Prague Delusional Reality Syndrome begins to take hold. One manifestation of this illness is that the expatriated individual begins to create a reality that is comfortable and pleasant but absolutely imaginary. The final stage of PDRS is self annihilation. Fortunately this can be prevented if earlier symptoms can be detected and treated. |
| Mackey: | What are these symptoms? |
| Gardner: | They include but are not limited to paranoia, fatigue, chronic depression, anger, resentment, memory and identity loss, liver failure, debauchery, hives, sloth, impotency, untidiness, fear, turrets and gas. |
| Mackey: | And the effective treatment? |
| Gardner: | The only effective treatment is emigration and a return to the native country. Unfortunately the disease prevents the victims from seeking the necessary treatment to save their lives. They develop what we call an Iron Curtain Complex. They literally believe there is no way out of the city. This is when the disease becomes especially dangerous. |
| Mackey: | Are there survivors? |
| Gardner: | It isn't always fatal. There are survivors. |