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The British Journal of Psychiatry 165: 386-388 (1994)
© 1994 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Exorcism-resistant ghost possession treated with clopenthixol

AS Hale and NR Pinninti
UMDS Guy's and St Thomas's, London.

BACKGROUND. An Indian man now in Britain explained his criminal behaviour as episodic ghost possession. Traditional exorcisms failed to help. METHOD. A 'Western' diagnosis of dissociative state or paranoid schizophrenia was made. Treatment commenced using trifluoperazine and clopenthixol. RESULTS. The patient underwent remission during neuroleptic treatment, despite previous evidence of genuine possession. CONCLUSIONS. Many cultures give rise to apparently genuine cases of ghost possession. Neuroleptics may relieve symptoms of exorcism- resistant possession.


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