Citation

Crowder JE, Gross CA, Heiser JF, Crowder AM. J. Clin. Psychiatry 1979; 40(10): 420-423.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1979, Physicians Postgraduate Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

489518

Abstract

While the act of self-enucleation is rare, other self-inflicted eye injuries may be more common. Six patients are reported who have documented histories of ocular self-mutilation. Several common factors are observed in these patients and in other cases reported in the literature: (1) the patient was judged to be psychotic; (2) the patient had a tyrannical conscience; (3) a source of guilt was present; (4) this guilt was displaced to the eye; and (5) an attempt at self-inflicted eye injury was followed by relief from anxiety when completed or by frustration when injury was prevented.

Language: en