Cutting Desire

  While I was reading this article, I was very shocked that this type of disorder exists. Personally, I think that this mental disorder can be treated with the sufferers going to a psychiatrist. It seems like it is more of something that they developed over the years and not something they were born with. In no way am I trying to say that they shouldn't be taken seriously, but I just think that they could easily cure it by talking it out. What concerns me about people suffering with this disease is that many of them take illegal surgical procedures to get amputated. Some of the examples of the sufferers in the article have died by undergoing these procedures. Not only do they pay a ridiculous amount of money, but they also lose their life because of this surgery. The assertion that most of these people are middle aged white men shouldn't be taken with a lot of credence. I say this because at multiple points in the article it states that most people suffering from the disorder are afraid to speak up. Therefore we need to wait longer until more people come out and then you can make assertions like this one. The thought of wanting to be disabled is a little weird to me because it is not something that society perceives as normal. Also I like having all my limbs in tact. I couldn't imagine losing one from injury, let along voluntarily getting a limb amputated when there is no need for it. The way I go through life would dramatically change and I don't know if I could every adjust to life as an amputee after having lived for 18 years with all my limbs. In the article it mentioned that some people think that people suffering from BIID are making a mockery of actual amputees. I don't think this at all, this is a mental disorder that these people are suffering from and should be taken just as serious as any other mental disorder. BIID sufferers are not trying to disgrace amputees. The article mentions a study done by Dr. Michael First, which showed that "these people were far from psychotic". Essentially these people are normal people who think and act just like any one of us. That study makes me think that they can be cured by talking to someone rather than taking medical procedures. I do feel sad for them because in the end once they are able to get a surgery to remove a limb they can no longer get that back. My question for them would be was all of that really worth your time? I realize that they feel complete after they get the amputation, but it just seems like it isn't worth all the stress of the surgery and on top of that trying to live life as an amputee. I almost feel as though they get so caught up in the act of trying to figure out ways to get rid of a limb, or trying to find someone who will perform a surgery, that they don't take all the repercussions of going through life with out a limb. In the article there was an example of a sufferer of BIID who went to Mexico to get surgery and after he worked as a gatekeeper for the doctor. This guy was lucky that he was able to find a job after his surgery because I know a lot of places today that probably wouldn't be as lenient to hire a person with disabilities.