A fifty-four-year-old married Hindu male college teacher developed diabetes mellitus following his forced emigration from Pakistan. His strong wish to be dependent is shown by his history of early deprivation in feeding, his extreme restricting lifelong myopia, and his late marriage to a much younger mothering woman. His need to repress and deny aggression and his masochism are also demonstrated. His masochism is his cultural heritage from Hinduism and also is due to his unconscious sense of guilt, his need for punishment, and his self-directed aggression. The secondary gain of this illness stems from its use as permission for regression, as satisfaction of his masochism, and for maintenance of his self-esteem.