Update: First-Hand Experience With Body Integrity Identity Disorder

On Friday, I posted my most recent feelings of frustration with Grey’s Anatomy – namely, the way the writers wrote in a small storyline regarding a man who, to me, seemed to have Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID), but blatantly ignored this character both on the show and in the writers’ room.

I am very fortunate that Sean, a real person living with BIID and not a TV drama series character hired to portray the condition (that wasn’t even named in the episode), chimed in.

Sean commented (with bolding added by me):

I haven’t had a chance to see the episode, as I’m not in the US and it hasn’t reached us yet. As someone who suffers from BIID, I always am interested to see what the media does with “my” condition. More times than not, they get it wrong.

FWIW, talk therapy of all types, including cognitive behavioural therapy just doesn’t work on BIID. Prescribed drugs and medications also don’t work on BIID. In fact, the only thing that works on BIID at this point is for the concerned individual to acquire the impairment they need. I should point out that BIID sufferer may need to be paralysed, blind or deaf, as well as amputees.

You may also want to visit http://biid-info.org for more information about BIID, including the collection of nearly all published research and academic journal articles regarding BIID.

Well, of course I was thrilled to get a response from someone with first-hand experience. As Sean noted, when it comes to media, “More times than not, they get it wrong.”

After assuring me he was agreeable to spreading awareness of BIID, Sean went on to say:

In fact, the more aware people are, and of proper facts, rather than improper understandings, the better things are There is a “problem” with biid.org – it has not been updated in years, and it focuses only on people requiring amputations. At the time that site was setup, non-amputee BIID sufferers were almost unheard of, but we now know better. http://biid-info.org was setup with a view to inform people about BIID, with the most up to date information possible. For the benefit the medical community, researchers, BIID sufferers as well as their loved ones and the general public

You may also be interested in http://transabled.org a blog that discusses BIID from BIID sufferers. I am the main contributor, but there are many other authors as well. Bit more of the “personal” side of BIID, as opposed to http://biid-info.org which is more “neutral” and “clinical.”

If you’re interested in learning more about BIID, I recommend checking out these Web sites – especially http://transabled.org as it will give you commentary typed directly from the fingertips of those who have experience with BIID.

Thanks, Sean!