Self-mutilation induced by cocaine abuse: the pleasure of bleeding

Self-mutilation is direct and deliberate harm to one's body without conscious intent to die. It is observed in both men and women with various psychiatric disorders, but most of those who self-mutilate are women diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Cocaine addiction is a significant worldwide public health problem, associated with somatic, psychological, psychiatric, socioeconomic and legal complications. Amphetamine use, but not cocaine use, has previously been associated with severe self-injurious behavior.

We report here a case of a female patient with recurring self-injurious behavior ("the pleasure of bleeding") induced by cocaine abuse.

The clinical characteristics of self-mutilation are manifold and there is a lack of agreement about its etiology. The complex behavior associated with cocaine abuse may be one cause of self-mutilation. Dysfunction of the inhibitory brain circuitry caused by drug addiction could explain why this cocaine-addicted patient loses control and self-mutilates during cocaine use.