Citation

Shukla L, Reddy SS, Kandasamy A, Benegal V. Asian J. Psychiatry 2017; 25: 106-108.

Affiliation

Centre for Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health Neurosciences, Bangalore, 560029, India. Electronic address: vbenegal@gmail.com.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ajp.2016.10.003

PMID

28262128

Abstract

There are multiple reports of recreational snake envenomation describing psychotropic effects in absence of any adverse effects. This is in contradiction with known effects of snake venom. We report a case of a young male who subjected himself to repeated envenomation by a snake purported to be 'Indian Cobra' and experienced a 'high'. However, a direct identification of snake revealed it was a benign 'Rat snake'. We attempt to explain the reported psychological effects as a result of high expectation of rewarding experience, strong suggestion, personality traits and most importantly the dangerous nature of willfully receiving snakebites.

Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

ADHD; Neurotoxic venom; Recreational envenomation