You might be really confused when you saw the title of this article - Apotemnophilia? Clearly, it is a rare disorder that not many people know about. Apotemnophilia, also known as body integrity identity disorder (BIID) is defined by the uncontrollable desire to amputate one or more healthy limbs. In other words, it is characterized by the desire to cut off a limb by surgical operation when it is not necessary.
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It is believed that apotemnophilia is an identity disorder. Individuals with apotemnophilia may mutilate themselves, or ask surgeons for an amputation or for the transection of their spinal cord. Because the disorder is so rare and there is not much study revolving it, a successful psychotherapeutic or pharmaceutical therapy is not known.
According to Naveed Saleh, a medical writer and editor covering new treatments and trending health news at Verywell Mind, People with apotemnophilia complain of feeling “overcomplete” and alienated from a body part, such as an eye or a limb. These feelings are lifelong obsessions that result in considerable psychic suffering and trauma.
The causes of apotemnophilia is unclear. As a neuropsychological condition, research indicates that issues with body identity or ownership can be traced back to definitive pathology such as a brain tumor. Researchers also have observed brain changes in individuals with the disease. However, the exact causes of apotemnophilia is still unclear.
Because scientists and researchers still don’t have a clear understanding of the disorder, it is difficult to treat it. Antidepressants and psychotherapy do little for the disease, and the effects of heavier psychotropic medications such as antipsychotics on apotemnophilia have not been tested. Sadly, many people who have successfully requested an amputation or have somehow hurt themselves feel relieved.
Apotemnophilia is a disorder that researchers are still delving deeper into, and as of right now, there are no specific ways to treat people with apotemnophilia. In addition, the disorder is very rare, so studying it is hard without many real-world cases. Overall, continuous study is needed for a better understanding for the disorder, and this is also the key step for finding a cure.
Hope this article helped you learn more about apotemnophilia. Thanks for reading!
Written by: Benetta Wang
Sources:
“Body Integrity Identity Disorder.” Verywell Mind, www.verywellmind.com/amputating-a-healthy-limb-1123848. Accessed 1 May 2021.
Müller, Sabine. “Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID)--Is the Amputation of Healthy Limbs Ethically Justified?” PubMed, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19132621/#:%7E:text=The%20term%20body%20integrity%20identity,transection%20of%20their%20spinal%20cord. Accessed 1 May 2021.
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