title: Self-enucleation: forget Freud and Oedipus, it's all about untreated psychosis.
abstract: Self-enucleation is a rare but serious ophthalmological and psychiatric emergency. It has traditionally been considered to be the result of psycho-sexual conflicts, including those arising from Freud's Oedipal complex and Christian religious teaching. However, an analysis of published case reports suggests that self-enucleation is a result of psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia. Early treatment with antipsychotic medication in the case of unilateral or threatened self-enucleation might prevent some cases of blindness.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. mmbl@bigpond.com
authors.forename: Matthew Michael
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Large
authors.forename: Olav B
authors.initials: OB
authors.lastname: Nielssen
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003469:Culture; D015353:Eye Enucleation / Q000523:psychology*; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005619:Freudian Theory; D006801:Humans; D009813:Oedipus Complex; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D012067:Religion; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D012652:Self Mutilation / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents