transabled.org

For my, at least somewhat uneducated theory. Although I don’t know if it is a good counter argument or not to point number one, nor do I know if some points are valid or not, as I’ haven’t had any theories that required research into this area that I’m basing my counter argument on. Although I probably will be doing some research into that area once I get my theories put to (written) word. But I’ll put it out there, anyway and maybe someone else could build a more correct, or complete, and probably less stretched theory than I ever could.

I seem to recall that the brain plays a key part, and apparently often under estimated part. In both the early stages of the fetus, and the forming of the body, or in some cases mis-forming the body.

It could be put to theory, that the brain controls how the body is formed, as for which part goes where or doesn’t.

As for some people who are born without, for instance, a leg. You’d think that they wouldn’t experience that of the phantom limb syndrome.

For some that is true, for others not so much.

If the basis on the phantom limb syndrome is that the brain is remembering what was there.

Than how does one explain the brain remembering what was there, when in fact it was never there to begin with?

The only thing I’m currently left to conclude for now, is that the brain first develops it’s ‘body map’ and than proceeds to construct the body from the newly formed map.

However, I’m at a bit of a loss on how to explain (albeit poorly and incompletely to do so at that) how the brain could mess up and not put a limb where it has one mapped, or to put a limb where it does not have one mapped.

Whether it be from genetics, biological, or not, I’ve nigh a clue. It could be due to genetics, seeing that from what I can tell, we all at least share at least one similar interest, and those with like genes seem to often do share a similar interest, even if they‘re not of an immediate familiar line. The shared interest could also be due to the shared circumstances. So, that doesn’t really help much.

But when trying to come to a conclusion, I’ve had a idea come to mind, though I’m not sure how accurate it is.

I wonder how many people with biid, were over due for any amount of time during pregnancy?

Likewise I also wonder how many people who have a phantom limb syndrome, when they’ve never had the limb to begin with were premature, again for any amount of time?

And of course vice versa.

For me, I was over due for a couple of weeks. I also know someone with the phantom limb syndrome who was almost a month premature, and never had that limb to begin with.

Based on that severely limited, and statistically insignificant number of subjects, I’m currently inclined to say, although not with any authority whatsoever (even to the point that I‘m not convinced to believe this part of the theory). That perhaps the biid fetus was essentially ‘over baked,’ while the phantom limb fetus was ’under baked.’

But based on the development cycle of the fetus, I’m at a loss on how to completely apply that theory in both circumstances.

Perhaps another, possibly better question to ask is has the mother been sick at any point in the pregnancy, and if so at what point in time in relation to the normal fetus development? In both circumstances.

Well, that’s my poor attempt at trying to grasp an argument out of thin air, as to why ‘disability’ is a naturally occurring condition, and how and why people are born that way. And I’m not to sure if it even made that much sense.

Although one could adequately argue that one is not born with a disability. I’d even agree with that, for the most part (there are of course exceptions), as they’re born with an impairment, and society as a whole turns that impairment into a disability.

Now for the somewhat fun wacky part (and possibly humorous part), and for those that believe that the universe will balance everything. Not that I’m calling that belief wacky, nor do I entirely believe in it (to each their own), nor do I think that that belief is humorous, just that it would be more difficult to successfully use as an argument, and the responses received could be quite interesting, to say the least .

Given the circumstance as previously described in regards to those with ‘biid’ and the phantom limb syndrome. It’s a point easier to argue, although it probably won’t get far in today’s world, the universe gave us their limb, and gave them our missing limb.

I however feel, I should state that the desire to have a missing limb is not biid all-inclusively, and not to discriminate others who feel they need other impairments, it’s just that the limb reference was the easiest one to use without getting to complicated for me. So please replace limb with your ‘favorite’ impairment ;)

At any rate, I hope I at least gave some either a theory to work with, and/or inspired a theory of their own, and perhaps together we could form a more scientifically solid theory, that wouldn’t be scoffed at if ever presented.

Hopefully I didn’t confuse you (in the general sense of you) too much

-David

Well, after some research, it looks like I recalled wrong, in regard to the brain in the sense of the above theory. The brain develops (about week 27) well after the limbs form (about/between week 8-10-23) from what I can gather.

However, it does lend some credence to another one I’ve concocted (again it could be just as wrong)

But that does somewhat confirm, although anything but conclusively, my suspicion about the mother being sick (although I don’t know if that would necessarily facilitate to surgery being an accepted path), As my mother did have, somewhat of a serious illness at the time and through the time that the brain develops rapidly.

So again I’m at a loss for now. But, at least I though it was a nice thought/theory.

-David

Regarding point #1:

Corrective genital surgery has been accepted treament for transsexuals long before anything was known about the neuroanatomical underpinnings of gender. The differences in the hypothalamus, or more pertinently the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, are found at autopsy. Autopsy is NOT a useful diagnostic tool for determining whether genital surgery is appropriate, since it is a post mortem procedure!! The idea that there is a difference between accepted treatment for GID and BIID on the basis of brain findings is utter nonsense.

The reality is that there is no physical diagnostic test for transsexualism. The diagnosis rests on the subjects’ psychological self assessment.

State of the art brain imaging techniques are on the cusp of being able to map the small parts of the brain which are the determinants of gender. In principle this will for the first time allow an accurate designation of someone’s gender at birth. It makes me cringe when a pregnant friend tells me they are going to have a girl. Current technology does not allow such a determination. The best we have is to wait until the child is around five years old, when they wil be able to accurately tell you what gender they are.

If this is the state of the art regarding gender, then why should BIID be held to a much more rigorous standard? It makes no sense. If saying that you are supposed to be a girl is good enough, then saying you are supposed to be paraplegic should be good enough.

I have come to the conclusion that attempting to know the cause/origin of BIID is not really useful in determining the “treatment” of it.

We’ve tried psychotherapy. We’ve tried pharmacotherapy. Neither of these have shown to be effective at all. So why not give surgery a go? There are no 4th option at the moment. Unless, and until, there is even a suggestion of a 4th option, we must have surgery available.

I don’t care if 10 years from now they find a pill to cure BIID. The cure 10 years from now is not going to help me.

@Chloe, I love your argument. This should be written into a post :)

I for one personally agree with all of the stated points.

Unfortunately, to me at least, it seems that surgery may not be an valid/mitigated risk option until the cause/origin is found, and even if it is that is as long as it can be attributed to a medical cause more easily than a psychological one.

Either that or a willing surgeon is found, whose really good at playing hide and seek.

I also much rather prefer it to not be so, but it seems to be in today’s lawsuit happy world, and with people always looking for drama even where there is none to be found or should not be found.

A psychological cause *IS* a medical cause. Any split between the two is ultimately a false dichotomy.

@Nobody:

I would say there is no “medical” thing, just a medical point of view. And the medical perspective often differs from the psychological etc.

This all depends on the image of man we have, on basic philosophies…

What is a “cause”? Good old Aristotle said that if everything follows as effect of a cause, then how far do we go back (regressus ad infinitum). And he said if everything is moved by something else, the first mover is God.

If BIID shows in the brain (which is very probable), then we don’t know if the brain structures are the effect or the cause of BIID or of something else.

Maybe it is more fruitful to ask what we can do. And there everybody comes with his/her instruments: To a man with a hammer every problem looks like a nail.

Medical: drugs
Neurological: influencing the brain
Psychological: solving inner conflicts, changing patterns of thinking, feeling and acting
Surgical: surgery

etc.

I think I need to work on my articulating myself better.

And yet again I pretty much do agree with the two post above. If that makes any sense, like I said I need to improve my articulation.

Oh, well, at least it seem to give cause to healthy debates, albeit comparatively minor.

I think it’s great to dig out old posts that nobody has commented on and get a discussion going.