Self-cannibalism (disease): causes, symptoms and treatment.

Eating parts of one's own body. It sounds strange, but there are some people who suffer from this disorder.

Possibly most people know someone who bites their nails. They often do it in situations of nervousness or stress, as a way to relax and reduce tension. Other people pull out, chew and even eat their own hair.

Others self-injure. Although it is not a frequent phenomenon, sometimes cases have been detected of individuals who for various reasons, which may or may not be due to anxiety reduction, decide to attack and consume parts of their own flesh, producing injuries of varying importance. We are talking about self-cannibalism.

Cannibalism and self-cannibalism

Cannibalism is the act or practice of consuming and feeding on members of the same species.. This practice has been observed in nature in various species, generally in the prolonged absence of other types of food or as a method of population control.

Cases of cannibalism have also been seen in humans throughout history. In many cases these practices have also derived from the lack of food. It is known, for example, that during the Black Death epidemic that devastated Europe during the Middle Ages, many tombs were plundered in order to consume the flesh of the deceased. On other occasions these practices are linked to religious rituals, as in different African and South American tribes.

Some drugs or psychotic episodes can provoke an aggression that culminates in an attempt to feed on the opponent. There have also been cases in which acts of cannibalism have derived from sadistic paraphilias, in some cases accepted by the victims and even devouring their own organs.

Finally it has come to be used intentionally as a way of terrorizing and morally destroying a target population, both at the idea of being consumed by the victims and by the victims themselves.both at the thought of being consumed and being forced to consume human flesh.

Feeding on one's own flesh

Thus, as mentioned above, cannibalism refers to the consumption of meat from individuals of one's own species. However, there are cases in which the cannibalistic act is directed towards the person doing the eating.

Self-cannibalism differs from the practice of cannibalism in that as a general rule the goal of the behavior is not usually directed at the consumption of human flesh, but instead tends to be linked to an attempt to reduce internal anxiety and tension. The self-cannibalism is not recorded as a disorder in itself, being rather the result or manifestation of some kind of problem. Self-cannibalism is not registered as a disorder by itself, being rather the result or manifestation of some kind of problem.

In what contexts does self-cannibalism appear?

Like other types of self-injurious behavior, this type of behavior is usually linked to the presence of severe cognitive and perceptual disturbances.. The subjects who practice it tend to have alterations of consciousness or a diminished cognitive capacity.

Some of the cases detected tend to be linked to severe cases of disorders with impaired cognitive capacity and impaired consciousness. In situations that produce a high level of activation, agitation and impulsivity in the subject, occasionally self-injurious behaviors appear (including self-cannibalism in the form of self-biting), generally as a mechanism to control anguish and internal tension.

It sometimes occurs in individuals with intellectual disability, some severe cases of neurodevelopmental disorders (self-injury has occurred in some cases of autism). Likewise, self-cannibalism can occur during psychotic breaks or in people suffering from intoxication by psychodysseptic (hallucinogenic, for example) or psychoanaleptic (excitants) substances.

These behaviors have also been observed as a method of tranquilization in some withdrawal syndromes.. There have even been cases in some personality disorders, such as borderline personality.

Finally, this type of behavior has been observed in some subjects who link self-injury and the consumption of their own organism to sexual pleasure, deriving from sadomasochistic paraphilias. An example of this can be found in the case of the Rottenburg cannibal, whose victim agreed to eat parts of his own body before being devoured.

Lesch-Nyhan syndrome

In addition to appearing in situations and disorders such as those mentioned above, there is a medical syndrome in which acts of self-cannibalism are relatively frequent, which has earned it the popular name of the disease of self-cannibalism. This is Lesch-Nyhan syndrome.

This disorder of genetic origin, linked to a defect in a recessive gene on the X chromosome, causes the enzyme hypoxanthine-guanine-phosphoribosyl-transferase . It tends to cause hyperproduction of uric acid, neurological dysfunctions that often lead to intellectual disability and behavioral disturbances. and behavioral alterations.

Within these behavioral alterations highlights the presence of constant self-injury, including acts of self-cannibalism focused on biting body parts that can reach, especially fingers and lips. It appears only in males, although females can be carriers and transmit it to their offspring.

Possible treatments

Bearing in mind that it is a symptom rather than a disorder in itself, the treatment of autocannibalism is often linked to the type of problem that causes it.. It is necessary to take into account the reason for the self-injury and the degree of consciousness of the individual performing the self-injury at the time of the self-injury.

At the psychological level, the use of different behavior modification techniques can be useful. One of the techniques used for the treatment of self-injurious behaviors such as self-cannibalism is dialectical behavioral therapy, which seeks to modify the behavior while trying to change the type of relationship the subject has with the condition that causes this type of behavior.

Other types of therapies such as conditioning in the form of reinforcement by emission of incompatible behaviors could be of help in order to change the type of behavior in cases where self-cannibalism is a response to anxiogenic situations.

If the self-cannibalistic act is sexually motivated the use of techniques focused on redirecting the desire towards other types of stimulation and decreasing the attractiveness of the self-cannibalistic behavior may be indicated.. Although this type of treatment is not generally recommended, in very severe cases chemical aversive techniques may be applied to cause the subject to reject self-injury and attempt to consume his or her own flesh.

If, for example, the self-cannibalistic practice is derived from substance abuse or a psychotic outbreak, treatment should be directed first and foremost at controlling the outbreak or intoxication in question and reducing its symptoms.