Skoptic syndrome
Encyclopedia
Skoptic syndrome is a condition in which a person is preoccupied with or engages in genital self-mutilation
, such as castration
, penectomy
or clitoridectomy
. The definition of skoptic syndrome is a gender dysphoria found under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM) IV section 302.6: Gender Identity Disorder Not Otherwise Specified.
Skoptic syndrome can sometimes be motivated by intense sexual guilt
, in which the genitals become identified as the source of the guilt-inducing sexual desire. This leads to desire for removal of or damage to the genitals. There is also evidence that voluntary castration is used in modern societies for reasons such as control of libido
, body modification
and, in some cases of extreme sexual masochism, for purposes of sexual excitement (see paraphilia
and apotemnophilia
).
The body dysmorphic disorder
or dysmorphophobia characterized by desire to be a eunuch
is called skoptic syndrome, named after the Skoptzy
sect
. However, in the latest issue of the DSM, there are no references to the term, and it is virtually unknown in psychological literature. It is also important to notice that the term, along with gender identity disorder
(GID), can and is also used to imply "minority mainstream view/practices" without negatively implying dysfunction or "wrongness", nor is it applicable to all people with a desire for castration, due to the highly diverse nature of reasons for volunteer castration. This particularly in view that castration has a history, up to the modern age, of therapeutic
use; according to Victor T. Cheney, in his Castration: Advantages and Disadvantages (Authorhouse, Dec. 2003),
castration has been documented to effectively reduce symptoms in people with schizophrenia
, psychosis
, violent
behaviors, paraphilia
s, mania
, overactive libido
, baldness
, sleep apnea
and prostate
disorders, as well as reducing the incidence of various sexually transmitted disease
s, by means of eliminated or reduced sexual activity. Some men seek relief from physical or psychological problems, while others derive sexual excitement from the idea of being castrated or otherwise having their genitals mutilated, usually by another person (see masochism and paraphilia
). This desire is still present in modern populations, as evidenced in the large membership in message boards on the Internet
related to the topic. There has been frequent news coverage of incidents of self-castration and underground networks of people without medical licenses performing castrations, because this condition is not medically recognized.
According to a June 12, 2002 article by Detroit Free Press
, "Self-castrations tend to be more common than leaving the job to someone else," said Dr. Dana Ohl, a urologist at the University of Michigan Medical Center who has operated on those who have botched amateur castrations. "Usually, when these people just chop their own testicle
s off, they don't pay attention to the blood
supply," he said.
Genital modification and mutilation
The terms genital modification and genital mutilation can refer to permanent or temporary changes to human sex organs. Some forms of genital alteration are performed at the behest of an adult, with their informed consent. Others are performed on infants or children...
, such as castration
Castration
Castration is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses the functions of the testicles or a female loses the functions of the ovaries.-Humans:...
, penectomy
Penectomy
Penectomy is the surgical removal of the penis for medical or personal reasons.- Medical Reasons for Penectomy :Cancer, for example, sometimes necessitates removal of part or of the penis. The amount of the penis removed depends on the severity of the cancer. Some men have only the tip of their...
or clitoridectomy
Clitoridectomy
Clitoridectomy is the surgical removal of the clitoris. It is rarely needed as a therapeutic medical procedure, such as when cancer has developed in or spread to the clitoris...
. The definition of skoptic syndrome is a gender dysphoria found under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is published by the American Psychiatric Association and provides a common language and standard criteria for the classification of mental disorders...
(DSM) IV section 302.6: Gender Identity Disorder Not Otherwise Specified.
Skoptic syndrome can sometimes be motivated by intense sexual guilt
Guilt
Guilt is the state of being responsible for the commission of an offense. It is also a cognitive or an emotional experience that occurs when a person realizes or believes—accurately or not—that he or she has violated a moral standard, and bears significant responsibility for that...
, in which the genitals become identified as the source of the guilt-inducing sexual desire. This leads to desire for removal of or damage to the genitals. There is also evidence that voluntary castration is used in modern societies for reasons such as control of libido
Libido
Libido refers to a person's sex drive or desire for sexual activity. The desire for sex is an aspect of a person's sexuality, but varies enormously from one person to another, and it also varies depending on circumstances at a particular time. A person who has extremely frequent or a suddenly...
, body modification
Body modification
Body modification is the deliberate altering of the human body for any non-medical reason, such as aesthetics, sexual enhancement, a rite of passage, religious reasons, to display group membership or affiliation, to create body art, shock value, or self expression...
and, in some cases of extreme sexual masochism, for purposes of sexual excitement (see paraphilia
Paraphilia
Paraphilia is a biomedical term used to describe sexual arousal to objects, situations, or individuals that are not part of normative stimulation and that may cause distress or serious problems for the paraphiliac or persons associated with him or her...
and apotemnophilia
Apotemnophilia
Apotemnophilia is a neurological disorder in which otherwise sane and rational individuals express a strong and specific desire for the amputation of a healthy limb or limbs. It is due to hypothesized damage to the right parietal lobe, as the disorder has features in common with somatoparaphrenia...
).
The body dysmorphic disorder
Body dysmorphic disorder
Body Dysmorphic Disorder is a type of mental illness, a somatoform disorder, wherein the affected person is exclusively concerned with body image, manifested as excessive concern about and preoccupation with a perceived defect of his or her physical features...
or dysmorphophobia characterized by desire to be a eunuch
Eunuch
A eunuch is a person born male most commonly castrated, typically early enough in his life for this change to have major hormonal consequences...
is called skoptic syndrome, named after the Skoptzy
Skoptzy
The Skoptsy were a secret sect in imperial Russia. The Skoptsy are best known for practicing castration of men and the mastectomy of women in accordance with their teachings against sexual lust. The movement originated as an offshoot of the sect known as the "People of God" and was first noted...
sect
Sect
A sect is a group with distinctive religious, political or philosophical beliefs. Although in past it was mostly used to refer to religious groups, it has since expanded and in modern culture can refer to any organization that breaks away from a larger one to follow a different set of rules and...
. However, in the latest issue of the DSM, there are no references to the term, and it is virtually unknown in psychological literature. It is also important to notice that the term, along with gender identity disorder
Gender identity disorder
Gender identity disorder is the formal diagnosis used by psychologists and physicians to describe persons who experience significant gender dysphoria . It describes the symptoms related to transsexualism, as well as less severe manifestations of gender dysphoria...
(GID), can and is also used to imply "minority mainstream view/practices" without negatively implying dysfunction or "wrongness", nor is it applicable to all people with a desire for castration, due to the highly diverse nature of reasons for volunteer castration. This particularly in view that castration has a history, up to the modern age, of therapeutic
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
use; according to Victor T. Cheney, in his Castration: Advantages and Disadvantages (Authorhouse, Dec. 2003),
castration has been documented to effectively reduce symptoms in people with schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, psychosis
Psychosis
Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
, violent
behaviors, paraphilia
Paraphilia
Paraphilia is a biomedical term used to describe sexual arousal to objects, situations, or individuals that are not part of normative stimulation and that may cause distress or serious problems for the paraphiliac or persons associated with him or her...
s, mania
Mania
Mania, the presence of which is a criterion for certain psychiatric diagnoses, is a state of abnormally elevated or irritable mood, arousal, and/ or energy levels. In a sense, it is the opposite of depression...
, overactive libido
Libido
Libido refers to a person's sex drive or desire for sexual activity. The desire for sex is an aspect of a person's sexuality, but varies enormously from one person to another, and it also varies depending on circumstances at a particular time. A person who has extremely frequent or a suddenly...
, baldness
Baldness
Baldness implies partial or complete lack of hair and can be understood as part of the wider topic of "hair thinning". The degree and pattern of baldness can vary greatly, but its most common cause is male and female pattern baldness, also known as androgenic alopecia, alopecia androgenetica or...
, sleep apnea
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing, during sleep. Each pause in breathing, called an apnea, can last from a few seconds to minutes, and may occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. Similarly, each abnormally low...
and prostate
Prostate
The prostate is a compound tubuloalveolar exocrine gland of the male reproductive system in most mammals....
disorders, as well as reducing the incidence of various sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
s, by means of eliminated or reduced sexual activity. Some men seek relief from physical or psychological problems, while others derive sexual excitement from the idea of being castrated or otherwise having their genitals mutilated, usually by another person (see masochism and paraphilia
Paraphilia
Paraphilia is a biomedical term used to describe sexual arousal to objects, situations, or individuals that are not part of normative stimulation and that may cause distress or serious problems for the paraphiliac or persons associated with him or her...
). This desire is still present in modern populations, as evidenced in the large membership in message boards on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
related to the topic. There has been frequent news coverage of incidents of self-castration and underground networks of people without medical licenses performing castrations, because this condition is not medically recognized.
According to a June 12, 2002 article by Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
, "Self-castrations tend to be more common than leaving the job to someone else," said Dr. Dana Ohl, a urologist at the University of Michigan Medical Center who has operated on those who have botched amateur castrations. "Usually, when these people just chop their own testicle
Testicle
The testicle is the male gonad in animals. Like the ovaries to which they are homologous, testes are components of both the reproductive system and the endocrine system...
s off, they don't pay attention to the blood
Blood
Blood is a specialized bodily fluid in animals that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells....
supply," he said.