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The man who needs to paralyse himself


Still Waters

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"I have attempted to break my back, but I missed. I need to be paraplegic, paralysed from the waist down."

Sean O'Connor is a very rational man. But he also tried, unsuccessfully, to sever his spine, and still feels a need to be paralysed.

Sean has body integrity identity disorder (BIID), which causes him to feel that his limbs just don't belong to his body.

http://www.newscient...se-himself.html

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I think this disorder is psychological. it's almost like a phobic disorder.

Some people want to kill other people. Does that mean that doctors have to give in to the patient's wishes? People wish for all kinds of irrational things.

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I've seen a documentary on this on "taboo" I believe. A woman pretended to be paraplegic for years. She confronted her collegues at work, who all thought she really was, and told them about this same disorder as he claims to suffer from. Psychologists believe its this identity crises that comes from "sympothetic" and attention needing rational that came from someone in their life that really did endure this problem.

Edited by Jessem
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Actually people with this disorder actually do maim themselves for life. The question is why? But I do think it may have to do with handicapped people being considered noble or something like that. A secret desire for attention and sympathy.

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He may be "a very rational man", but he's still nuts! He needs to be put under observation for his own protection. Maybe a shrink can convince him his limbs are his, otherwise why does he have them and if they aren't, how did he get them?

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Bruce Campbell should hit this guy over the head with a brick.

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I think a past life regression might uncover something the conscious mind has no memory of... If we only use 10% of our brain, does the other 90% contain soul memories, perhaps of past lives and lessons learned in those same lifetimes. No one can prove or disprove it...

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I think this disorder is psychological. it's almost like a phobic disorder.

Some people want to kill other people. Does that mean that doctors have to give in to the patient's wishes? People wish for all kinds of irrational things.

It's probably part physical disorder with the lobe of the brain, that the article mentioned but he sure does need help to deal with it!

I think of nerve damage of disease or injuries. You can have surgery and a limb goes numb or has no feeling for years, it's clumbsy, kind of like using stilts to walk , you know it's you but you don't feel it as part of "your" body....but it sure doesn't mean you want to cut it off!

Mental help needed for sure with these people.

I know when feeling starts to return to a nerve in a numb, nerve damaged limb, nerves start to reconnect with the brain , it can be very very painful especially moving it before the normal feeling returns. Some of these people might be caught in a painful state like that which doesn't go away for some reason.

If that's the case I wonder if they could get help. I have heard of pain clinics that severe certain nerves to relieve pain but leave enough to have muscle control in some nasty diseases if there not any drugs that could help.

Edited by White Unicorn
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Been a ghoster of um for quite awhile and actually feel like I need to post for once. I am a psych student, with abnormally psych being one of my main focus. Psych thearpy will never solve this problem totally. BIID, which I have written papers on, is most similiar to trangender. They know they are born one way but feel as if they were made different then what was supposed to be. MANY trans, which I have known plenty being a former drag queen, often kill themselves because they mitilate there body trying to become there right selfs. For instance their have been many cases of ftm, Female to male, cutting off their own breasts. While I am not 100 percent in agreement on limb removal should we not as a soceity help each other. BIID suffers feel like there body betrays them. We have finally started to accept and medically help transgender to help lower mortality rates. BIID suffers are going to hurt themselves without help, so we should consider both sides. If doctors dont at least take in to consideration the mental identity when deciding to amputee or paralyze then they are no better then the first doctors who dismissed transgender. Like I said I dont agree with romoval of limbs in every case I do understand it. These people are not happy with there lifes and I live in America were it is part of our legal system that we have the right to Thanks. freedom and pursuit of happiness.

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I think a past life regression might uncover something the conscious mind has no memory of... If we only use 10% of our brain, does the other 90% contain soul memories, perhaps of past lives and lessons learned in those same lifetimes. No one can prove or disprove it...

I'm thinking you only use 10%.
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Rlyeh, you are entitled to your opinion, even if you are wrong :)

I would be if I was the one perpetuating a myth.

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/tenper.html

Edited by Rlyeh
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I think a past life regression might uncover something the conscious mind has no memory of... If we only use 10% of our brain, does the other 90% contain soul memories, perhaps of past lives and lessons learned in those same lifetimes. No one can prove or disprove it...

Sorry, but I have learned more about the brain than I ever wanted to know. We use all of for silly mundane things like breathing, digestion, walking, seeing, etc. I have proof I have one too. I get an MRI every year, so I have pictures.

I don't understand them, being in a wheelchair is super inconvenient, I have first hand experience. I hope I never have to go through that again.

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I've seen a documentary on this on "taboo" I believe. A woman pretended to be paraplegic for years. She confronted her collegues at work, who all thought she really was, and told them about this same disorder as he claims to suffer from. Psychologists believe its this identity crises that comes from "sympothetic" and attention needing rational that came from someone in their life that really did endure this problem.

Yeah I saw her too.. What a idiot

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I would be if I was the one perpetuating a myth.

http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/tenper.html

Sorry got to jump in on this one... The statement is really about how much you are concious of... Indeed all of the brain is being used but you are only concious of a small fraction of what is going on... Probably less than 10%. This is the context of what people mean when they are saying this. Indeed if we were conciousnes and in control of much more of our subconscious we would be capable of tremendous things. Anyway that's a better answer than google educated parroting :D dont you think?

Edited by Seeker79
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Sorry got to jump in on this one... The statement is really about how much you are concious of... Indeed all of the brain is being used but you are only concious of a small fraction of what is going on... Probably less than 10%. This is the context of what people mean when they are saying this. Indeed if we were conciousnes and in control of much more of our subconscious we would be capable of tremendous things. Anyway that's a better answer than google educated parroting :D dont you think?

Why would someone be conscious of non-conscious brain functions? You obviously haven't thought out your answer very well.

A better answer would be one that is right ;)

Edited by Rlyeh
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I bet there aren't any insurance companies offering this guy a policy.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Wow I didn't know this was an actually disorder but I kind of have episodes of this. I mean I wouldn't go sever my spine because of it but every once in a while I'll get this really uncomfortable feeling where I'm like hyper aware of my body and limbs and it's just terrible, I feel like they shouldn't be there or something. But it doesn't happen too often and only for like a minute then the feeling goes away.

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