A teenage girl spent three years of her life convinced she was dead due to a rare medical condition known as 'Walking Corpse Syndrome'. 

Haley Smith, 17, suffered from the ultra-rare illness Cotard’s Syndrome. Sufferers genuinely believe they are dead, or that parts of their body no longer exist, and some die from starvation because they feel they no longer have to eat.

But with the help of a therapist – and, bizarrely, Disney films – she recovered.

Cases of Cotard’s Syndrome date back to 1788 but it was formally identified by French neurologist Jules Cotard in 1880. Among the handful of cases over the years was a 53-year-old woman in New York who in 2008 claimed that she stank like rotting fish because she was dead.

Haley Smith suddenly felt as if she had died and become a corpse. But only after two years she finally plucked up the courage to visit a doctor - and was immediately she diagnosed with Cotard’s, or Walking Corpse Syndrome.

‘It’s a rare condition where sufferers believe they or parts of their body no longer exist,’ Miss Smith said.

I’d fantasise about having picnics in graveyards and I’d spend a lot of time watching horror films because seeing the zombies made me feel relaxed, like I was with family

‘It was so amazing to find out it was a real illness.

‘I went online and found stories of other people who suffered from it. 

'They wanted to spend time in graveyards too. It made me feel so much better that I wasn’t the only one.’

Talking with the therapist set her on the road to recovery. She also discovered Disney films were a huge help in her recovery.

Miss Smith said: ‘Watching Disney films gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling. 

'The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty, Bambi – I watched them all. I asked my boyfriend Jeremy:  “How can I be dead when Disney makes me feel this good?”.’

Gradually, she began to better. 

‘Being a corpse was the most bizarre experience, but I’m so glad I managed to get out alive.’