Borderline Personality Disorder, Trauma, and Compulsive Foreign Body Insertion (Polyembolokoilamania) in a 62-Year-Old Patient

This case report examines the relationship between borderline personality disorder (BPD), trauma, and polyembolokoilamania, a rare condition characterized by compulsive foreign body insertion through a 62-year-old male patient. His severe trauma history, stemming from a prison assault at age 23, intertwines with BPD traits, revealing psychological mechanisms behind his compulsive behaviors. The patient is presented to the emergency room with shards of glass and a box cutter blade lodged in his rectum, marking a troubling escalation in his pattern of foreign object insertion. This incident resulted in physical harm he could not address, underscoring his emotional turmoil and maladaptive behavior. The case illustrates how polyembolokoilamania can serve as a coping mechanism related to unresolved trauma and repetition compulsion, reflecting Freud’s theories on reliving past traumas. A comprehensive treatment approach, including trauma-focused therapy and dialectical behavior therapy, was used to tackle his complex condition. This report emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to address both the psychological and medical aspects of such cases, highlighting the importance of understanding the mechanisms driving self-destructive behaviors in individuals with traumatic histories.