A Case of Genital Self‐mutilation

Hemphill, R. E.

doi:10.1111/j.2044-8341.1951.tb00414.x

Cited by 22 publications

(15 citation statements)

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“…G o o d h a rt and S a v it s k y (9) explain it on the basis o f the autosuggestive state, and H e m p h il l (14) ascribes it to a state of ecstasy such as occurs in religious martyrdoms. Sza sz (28) attempts to construct a psychological framework for understanding the absence of pain perception in states o f schizophrenic regression in terms o f his theory o f the body or part of it becoming a " transference object" and thus expressing in body language the catastrophe o f object loss.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Auto-Enucleation of the Eye: A Study of Self-Mutilation

Davidson¹

1962

Psychother Psychosom

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Auto-Enucleation of the Eye: A Study of Self-Mutilation

Davidson¹

1962

Psychother Psychosom

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“…And if thy right hand offend thee, cut if off and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. ' Apart from the states mentioned, a fear of disease or even hypochondriac delusions may be predominant, especially in connec tion with a depression [Hemphill, 1949],…”

Section: Psychopathologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Impulses of suicide can be closely timerelated with self-mutilation [Blacker and Wong, 1963;Hemphill, 1949;Muluka, 1986]. By and large, however, overt suicidality is rather rare [Menninger, 1938]; but in the anamnesis suicide attempts do occur more often [Lewis, 1928;Lennon, 1963;Simpson, 1973], Suicidal ideas can lose im portance due to the relief experienced after self-mutilation [Greilsheimer and Groves, 1979],…”

Section: Psychopathologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1938], This way of thinking equates sexuality with the genitals; consequently, after real or imagi nary sexual offences, a person can attain full punishment and remorse by sacrificing the 'guilty' organ. For this Alexander coined the term 'bribery of the conscience' [Menninger, 1938], The experience of self-mutilation as an act of liberation and purification of guilt partly explains the feeling of relief after the act often described by patients [Hemphill, 1949].…”

Section: Psychodynamic Aspects and Precipitating Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On admission the patients are often described as confused and helpless [Hemphill. 1949: Menninger, 1938, Depressive states also occur frequently [Hemphill. 1949;Lange.…”

Section: Psychopathologymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Psychiatric Aspects of Male Genital Self-Mutilation

Martin

Gattaz²

1991

Psychopathology

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From the beginning of the century to this day 57 cases of male genital self-mutilation have been reported in the English literature. In German publications we found 5 case descriptions. Although no precise data are available on the prevalence of male genital self-mutilation, such acts are presumably much more frequent than the small number of published cases would suggest. In the literature several features are regarded as risk factors for self-mutilation, such as e.g. homosexual or transsexual tendencies, repudiation of the male genitals, absence of a competent male for identification during childhood, feeling of guilt for sexual offences, and self-injury in the anamnesis. The most frequent diagnoses are schizophrenia and affective psychosis; alcohol intoxication was diagnosed in about one-fourth of the cases published. In the present paper we summarize data from the literature on epidemiology, psychopathology, psychodynamic and sociocultural factors in male genital automutilation and we describe 2 new cases of self-castration in which several of the risk factors described above were observed. We conclude that although it is difficult to estimate the risk of self-castration in view of the heterogeneity of the respective patient groups, the danger of such deeds should be kept in mind if the above factors are present.

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