Body integrity identity disorder
Body integrity identity disorder, commonly abbreviated BIID and also known as AID (amputee identity disorder), is a psychological disorder where one feels that their actual physical form does not match with their idea of how they should look like and feels that they would look more appealing and happier living as amputees (Steven, 12). BIID is normally accompanied by the desire to amputate healthy limbs so as to achieve one’s desired appearance. One finds a part of the body being not appealing to them and fantasizes how they will feel or appear without the part. Though the disorder has been rare for quite sometime, it is currently gaining prevalence in many people. The American population is one of the populations where the disorder is really common.
BIID has several symptoms that give doctors some light into identifying the disorder. First, the victim feels very incomplete with four limbs and very confident that amputation will fix the problem. In addition, the victim knows exactly the limb to be amputated in order to relieve the pain. According to studies, most BIID victims develop a fanatical uncontrollable thought of having a limb be amputated (Stirn, 102). However, the sufferer identifies the above symptom as being unnatural and quite strange. These thoughts make them feel so lonely and often try to hide from the public because they believe other people will not understand their unique urges.
An individual also feels a high feeling of depression and anxiety. Their depression and anxiety is actually high than that of the general population. It is also common for the victim to experience mood disorder from time to time. Due to this, doctors advise that BIID should be treated first and foremost on its own before the condition becomes severe as it will compromise the life of the victim (Stirn, 83).
Research suggests that victims of BIID have a reduced activation of their right superior parietal part when the “additional” limb is touched (Transableism, 104). This has been attributed to the schema of the body and the internal map of the brain which is hereditarily determined and hard-wired. Due to this, the victims rarely sense when the part is touched.
History of BIID
The longing to remove a healthy limb started developing in the late 1960s. In 1977, john money described the disorder and named it apotemnophilia, which originally meant to amputate limbs in order to be sexually attractive (Steven, 12). The condition was so interesting and many psychologists took interest in it. The late years of 1990s witnessed serious research in BIID and many researchers still identified the disorder as a gender identity disorder. The condition has been proven to start early in childhood and develops as the individual grows to adulthood. Research is still ongoing to further come up with better definitions of the condition and finer details regarding the condition. However, some doctors still believe the disorder to be a neurological disorder while others believe it is a psychological disorder.
Prevalence of BIID
Though rare, research indicates that 1.1% of the world population suffer from BIID. In the US, the rates are slightly high with 1.42% of the population suffering from the disorder (Stirn, 53). However, the rates are expected to go up both globally and in the US in the near future.
Chloe Jennings-White a science-based researcher at Cambridge University and Mark Comer are some of the most common people that have been found to have BIID (Stirn, 63).
Treatment for BIID
There is no known cure for BIID. However, many doctors suggest that the condition can only be treated through brain surgery where the schema and map of the brain can be corrected and bring the BIID condition to an end. Other doctors have also suggested that some drugs that reduce the urge of amputation (Steven, 22). However, none of this excellently treats the disorder and medical professionals are striving to come up with better treatments for the disorder.
Why I chose BIID.
Recently, there has been an increase in the number of people who acceptingly decide to have one or more of their body parts amputated. Surprisingly, others take it as a weight control program. What attracted my interest that I decided to research on the disorder is the observation that most people undergo readily and willingly undergo amputation in order to become sexually attractive. This is physical damage targeted towards ones’ own body (Anil, 25). The whole idea behind it is so devastating. Should one go to that extreme extent in search of beauty or fulfilling other people’s desires and particularly married partners? Certainly not.
It is surely against ethics for anyone to willingly have their limbs amputated even when the limbs are very healthy and functional. Complaining that having the limbs in question makes the individual feel uncomfortable is also unrealistic (Stirn, 123). I was also captivated to understand if doctors are the ones who conduct the amputation process and the motive behind such actions. Additionally, it is surprising that the authorities have failed to formulate and implement relevant regulations control people’s behavior despite the increasing prevalence of BIID (Transableism, 105).
Works Cited
Anil Ananthaswamy. "MATTER #1: Do No Harm." N.p., 14 Nov. 2012. Web. 26 Oct. 2013.
Steven Novella. "NeuroLogica Blog » Body Integrity Identity Disorder." The NESS. N.p., 16 Apr. 2013. Web. 26 Oct. 2013.
Stirn, Aglaja. Body Integrity Identity Disorder: Psychological, Neurobiological, Ethical and Legal Aspects. Lengerich: Pabst Science Publ, 2009. Print.
Transableism, Disability and Paternalism in Public Health Ethics: Taxonomies, Identity Disorders and Persistent Unexplained Physical Symptoms. Cambridge University Press, 2006. Print.
