Autophagia is a mental disorder in which people eat themselves!! Yeah you read it right.In a case of Autophagia people eat their own body parts simply by biting and chewing.According to my researchs this disorder is considered as DSM's Impulse-Control Disorders.As described in Wikipedia this disorders involve failing to resist an impulse, drive, or temptation to perform an act that is harmful to the person or to others.The people who are affected from disorder will feel a sense of anger before they commit the act.When they are in the process of committing the act,they will feel pleasure and relxation but when the all act is done they will regret what they did.
The same behaviors are observed in rats as in experiments about spinal cord and peripheral nerve injuries.Rats also tended to eat their limbs.Researches tried series of ways to prevent this.They prepared a bitter tasting mixtures in order to prevent rats' act,and the idea worked.It is observed that after testing this mixture on 24 rats with spinal cord injuries, only one rat had chewed its toes after a 2-3 week period.
There are so weird psychological disorders in the world.Keep following to learn more!!