Forty-six year old baby
Vahip, I.şi.; Onen Sertöz, O.
Turk Psikiyatri Dergisi 14(3): 233-238
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 1300-2163 PMID: 14569474 Document Number: 553139
In this paper, an extraordinary mother-son relationship involving 46 year-old, married, male patient with three children is discussed. He had never had any psychiatric complaint until his mother's death. However, he developed severe depressive and somatic symptoms following his 80 year-old mother's death. He showed no significant improvement after previous outpatient treatments and was admitted to the Psychiatric Department of Ege University School of Medicine with complaints of tension, insomnia, fatigue, anhedonia, hopelessness and pain all over his body. It was discovered that this man, who was loved and respected by both his family and his peers, used to suck his mother's breast twice daily. This act was no secret and was not considered a reason for seeking psychiatric help, a symptom of a disorder, or a source of distress for the son, mother, or any other family member. A phenomenon like this has never been reported in the literature before. We discuss this phenomenon through the dynamic formulation of the case using data from his psychiatric and developmental history as well as direct observation and psychological tests.