Use of lithium carbonate in the treatment of autoerotic asphyxia.

We report the successful use of lithium carbonate to promptly extinguish life-threatening behavior in a case of autoerotic asphyxia occurring in a 26-year-old male. In addition to his paraphilia, the patient met the DSM-III-R criteria for dysthymia, and had an avoidant personality disorder secondary to verbal, physical and sexual abuse inflicted during childhood and adolescence.