Abstract

Case Report

Addiction to self-strangulation: a case-report

Aurely Ameller*, Yann Le Strat, Marion Cadranel, Celine Portalier and Caroline Dubertret

Published: 05 December, 2017 | Volume 1 - Issue 1 | Pages: 016-021

Introduction: DSM-5 mentions autoerotic asphyxia in the paraphilic disorders section, as a specifier for the diagnostic of sexual masochism disorder. Strangulation activities have also been observed in the “choking game”. The term “strangulation activity” is considered as more appropriate than “choking game”. While sharing a same behavior, autoerotic asphyxia and non auto-erotic strangulation activities might represent a very distinct pattern of disorders. We describe here a case report of a 25-year old male internship student who has practiced manual self-strangulation up to 40 times a day since adolescence. In the examination of this case we identify individual clinical aspects of this case in a process-based holistic case conceptualization.

Case description: The patient is a 25 years old male with a post-graduate degree who presented with a recent history of poor work performance and work-related stress during an internship. He has a concomitant history of both ketamine and cannabis use disorders, and reports urges to self-strangulate, sometimes specifically avoiding contact with friends engage in this behavior and that he has never attempted to discontinue self-strangulation. Neuropsychological assessment found a cognitive functioning below that expected given his educational level. Our intervention consists of a 3-weeks cognitive and motivational therapy program in addiction unit with associated abstinence.

Conclusion: Autoerotic asphyxia is a behavior observed not only in the context of sexual masochism disorder, but also as a specific addictive behavior, in the absence of sexual arousal, possibly as a result of emotional dysregulation.

Read Full Article HTML DOI: 10.29328/journal.jatr.1001003 Cite this Article Read Full Article PDF

Keywords:

Asphyxiophilia; Chocking game; Behavioral addiction; Self-strangulation

References

  1. Hucker SJ. Hypoxyphilia. Arch Sex Behav. 2011; 40: 1323-1326. Ref.: https://goo.gl/wCfpa9
  2. Krueger RB, Kaplan MS. Paraphilic Diagnoses in DSM-5. Isr J Psychiatry Relat Sci. 2012; 49: 248-254. Ref.: https://goo.gl/GyZkGz
  3. Hitchcock A, Start RD. Fatal traumatic asphyxia in a middle-aged man in association with entrapment associated hypoxyphilia. J Clin Forensic Med. 2005; 12: 320-325. Ref.: https://goo.gl/NrBCgz
  4. Quinn J, Twomey P. A case of auto-erotic asphyxia in a long-term psychiatric setting. Psychopathology. 1998; 31: 169-173. Ref.: https://goo.gl/4V8ZGu
  5. Shields LBE, Hunsaker DM, Hunsaker JCI. Autoerotic Asphyxia: Part I. J Forensic Med. 2005; 26: 45-52. Ref.: https://goo.gl/tUjrES
  6. Behrendt N, Buhl N, Seidl S. The lethal paraphiliac syndrome: accidental autoerotic deaths in four women and a review of the literature. Int J Legal Med. 2002; 116: 148-152. Ref.: https://goo.gl/xXNrkb
  7. Noirhomme-Renard F, Gosset C. The “choking game” and asphyxial games: epidemiological and clinical data. Rev Médicale Liège. 2011; 66: 485-490. Ref.: https://goo.gl/AM2M84
  8. 8 Mechling B, Ahern NR, McGuinness TM. The choking game: a risky behavior for youth. J Psychosoc Nurs Ment Health Serv. 2013; 51: 15-20. Ref.: https://goo.gl/q5Uxzb
  9. Katz KA, Toblin RL. Language matters: unintentional strangulation, strangulation activity, and the “choking game”. Arch Pediatr AdolescMed. 2009; 163: 93-94. Ref.: https://goo.gl/orYR7Q
  10. Macnab AJ, Deevska M, Gagnon F, Cannon WG, Andrew T. Asphyxial games or “the choking game”: a potentially fatal risk behavior. Inj Prev. 2009; 15: 45-49. Ref.: https://goo.gl/nqa2D7
  11. Ramowski SK, Nystrom RJ, Rosenberg KD, Gilchrist J, Chaumeton NR. Health risks of Oregon eighth-grade participants in the “choking game”: results from a population-based survey. Pediatrics. 2012; 129: 846-851. Ref.: https://goo.gl/kcez6Q
  12. Bernacki JM, Davies WH. Prevention of the Choking Game: parent perspectives. J Inj Violence Res. 2012; 4: 73-78. Ref.: https://goo.gl/Dtc6dM
  13. “Choking game” awareness and participation among 8th graders--Oregon, 2008. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2010; 59: 1-5. Ref.: https://goo.gl/Lu8jzJ
  14. Andrew TA, Fallon KK. Asphyxial games in children and adolescents. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2007; 28: 303-307. Ref.: https://goo.gl/sdqgie
  15. Michel G, Bernadet S, Aubron V. Cazenave N. Des conduites à risques aux assuétudes comportementales: le trouble addictif au danger. Psychol Fr. 2010; 55: 341-353. Ref.: https://goo.gl/JsGTaf
  16. Bernheim A, Halfon O, Boutrel B. Controversies about the enhanced vulnerability of the adolescent brain to develop addiction. Front Pharmacol. 2013; 4: 118. Ref.: https://goo.gl/1Nrrj8
  17. Billieux J, Schimmenti A, Khazaal Y, Maurage P, Heeren A. Are we overpathologizing everyday life? A tenable blueprint for behavioral addiction research. J Behav Addict. 2015; 4: 119-123. Ref.: https://goo.gl/8irpJc
  18. Dudley R, Kuyken W, Padesky CA. Disorder specific and trans-diagnostic case conceptualization. Clin Psychol Rev. 2011; 31: 213-224. Ref.: https://goo.gl/UDHUzt
  19. Kardefelt-Winther D. Conceptualizing Internet use disorders: Addiction or coping process?. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2016; 71: 459-466. Ref.: https://goo.gl/7GNFzo
  20. Modelli MES, Rodrigues MS, Castro BZM, Corrêa RS. Self-induced fatal air embolism: accidental autoerotic death or suicide?. J Forensic Sci. 2013; 58: 261-263. Ref.: https://goo.gl/dnMuyq
  21. Solarino B, Leonardi S, Grattagliano I, Tattoli L, Di Vella G. An unusual death of a masochist: Accident or suicide?. Forensic Sci Int. 2011; 204: 16-19. Ref.: https://goo.gl/Yo4fMk
  22. Hazelwood RR, Burgess AW, Groth AN. Death during dangerous autoerotic practice. Soc Sci Med. 1981; 15: 129-133. Ref.: https://goo.gl/bjLcYr
  23. Sauvageau A. Current reports on autoerotic deaths--five persistent myths. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2014; 16: 430. Ref.: https://goo.gl/mJDg57
  24. Andrew T. Les jeux d’asphyxie chez les enfants et les jeunes. in Jeu du foulard et autres jeux d’évanouissement : pratiques, conséquences et prévention. Paris: L’Harmattan. 2010; 41-43.
  25. Zhu TH, Mio Nakamura, Benjamin F, Michael A, Jason R, et al. Obsessive-compulsive skin disorders: a novel classification based on degree of insight. J Dermatol Treat. 2017. Ref.: https://goo.gl/yXs4qU
  26. Billieux J, Philippot P, Schmid C, Maurage P, De Mol J, et al. Is Dysfunctional Use of the Mobile Phone a Behavioural Addiction? Confronting Symptom-Based Versus Process-Based Approaches. Clin Psychol Psychother. 2015; 22: 460-468. Ref.: https://goo.gl/B15GnP

 

Similar Articles

  • Addiction to self-strangulation: a case-report
    Aurely Ameller*, Yann Le Strat, Marion Cadranel, Celine Portalier and Caroline Dubertret Aurely Ameller*,Yann Le Strat,Marion Cadranel,Celine Portalier, Caroline Dubertret. Addiction to self-strangulation: a case-report . . 2017 doi: 10.29328/journal.jatr.1001003; 1: 016-021

Recently Viewed

Read More

Most Viewed

Read More

Help ?