Body integrity identity disorder (BIID) is a relatively rare psychological and neurological disorder in which the way someone looks isn’t the way they think they should look. Unlike similar disorders, such as body dysmorphia, in which a slender person views themselves as obese, or an attractive person sees themselves as ugly, BIID manifests as “a desire to have an amputation of a specific [healthy] body part,” according to BIID.org.
Also and previously referred to apotemnophilia or amputee identity disorder, the condition revolves around a desire to get rid of a limb. Some patients will intentionally hurt themselves to ensure removal of the body part, especially without revealing the psychological basis of the need. Neurologically speaking, experts suggest the brain may not recognize the specific body part in question, and instead sees it as unassimilable to the neurological layout of the body.
A potential psychological explanation states that those with BIID might have known an amputee as a child, which replaced their ideas of what is “normal” or ideal. Treatment, when possible, is often in the form of utilizing prosthesis to imitate the underlying needs.
Have more questions? See more answers from Alot.
