Comments on: My People http://transabled.org/thoughts/other-thoughts/anns-thoughts/my-people.htm Talking about Body Integrity Identity Disorder - Just another disability! Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:59:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Becs http://transabled.org/thoughts/other-thoughts/anns-thoughts/my-people.htm/comment-page-1#comment-19502 Becs Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:45:55 +0000 http://transabled.org/?p=3697#comment-19502 I have always felt comfortable around people with disabilities. There's a directness there that I don't have with other people. I've been in a room where I'm the only AB person there and I thought, there's something wrong here. One of these things is not like the other. I have always felt comfortable around people with disabilities. There’s a directness there that I don’t have with other people. I’ve been in a room where I’m the only AB person there and I thought, there’s something wrong here. One of these things is not like the other.

]]> By: Phil http://transabled.org/thoughts/other-thoughts/anns-thoughts/my-people.htm/comment-page-1#comment-19501 Phil Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:37:47 +0000 http://transabled.org/?p=3697#comment-19501 Even Dan thought he might have Aspergers', if I remember correctly. Now he is an amputee, all these theories and labels just have vanished. He is happy with himself and with others. I don't know how others experience it. Aspergers' and other forms of autism might be mixed up with the consequences of BIID. We persons with BIID had always the feeling to be wrong (our body was wrong). We desired something we knew that we should not desire. Isn't it quite natural that this creates something like a wall (and be it of glass) between the others and us? The others who (seemingly) live so naturally identical with themselves. We have to hide something, we have to struggle all the time. This makes us concentrate on ourselves much more than other people have to. Is that aspergers' or autism? Why do we need an allowance, a label before we dare to feel familiar and welcome with people with other disabilities? Even if we were not labeled as disabled, ill or something else, we would have all the right to follow our interest in persons with impairments. It's us ourselves who obviously still thinks this is not allowed. I see it as the old guilt and shame that is connected with BIID, and as a mirror to the attitude of big parts of society towards disabled people in general. Even Dan thought he might have Aspergers’, if I remember correctly.

Now he is an amputee, all these theories and labels just have vanished. He is happy with himself and with others.

I don’t know how others experience it.

Aspergers’ and other forms of autism might be mixed up with the consequences of BIID. We persons with BIID had always the feeling to be wrong (our body was wrong). We desired something we knew that we should not desire. Isn’t it quite natural that this creates something like a wall (and be it of glass) between the others and us? The others who (seemingly) live so naturally identical with themselves.

We have to hide something, we have to struggle all the time. This makes us concentrate on ourselves much more than other people have to.

Is that aspergers’ or autism?

Why do we need an allowance, a label before we dare to feel familiar and welcome with people with other disabilities?

Even if we were not labeled as disabled, ill or something else, we would have all the right to follow our interest in persons with impairments. It’s us ourselves who obviously still thinks this is not allowed.

I see it as the old guilt and shame that is connected with BIID, and as a mirror to the attitude of big parts of society towards disabled people in general.

]]> By: Chloe http://transabled.org/thoughts/other-thoughts/anns-thoughts/my-people.htm/comment-page-1#comment-19499 Chloe Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:07:15 +0000 http://transabled.org/?p=3697#comment-19499 These are very interesting thoughts, Ann. Like depression, Asperger's is a recurring theme on this site. It makes one wonder about the possibility of comorbidity with BIID, and how there could be a connection, if there is one. It's not obvious to me. I have an ensemble of Aspie traits, such as difficulty referencing pronouns; and my partner often makes comments about me having Asperger's. However, I don't believe I actually have it at all. The diagnosis of something completely different from one's BIID also strikes a chord with me. I have been to disability forums regarding fibromyalgia long before I discovered transabled.org. Fibromyalgia is something I would get rid of in a heartbeat if I could, but all clouds have silver linings. One of those benefits is being able to go to disability forums and interact with a variety of differently abled people, without any questionable self representation. They are, like you say, "my people". It is interesting that you think your diagnosis may have intensified your BIID. Could you comment on the psychological mechanism of that? These are very interesting thoughts, Ann.

Like depression, Asperger’s is a recurring theme on this site. It makes one wonder about the possibility of comorbidity with BIID, and how there could be a connection, if there is one. It’s not obvious to me. I have an ensemble of Aspie traits, such as difficulty referencing pronouns; and my partner often makes comments about me having Asperger’s. However, I don’t believe I actually have it at all.

The diagnosis of something completely different from one’s BIID also strikes a chord with me. I have been to disability forums regarding fibromyalgia long before I discovered transabled.org. Fibromyalgia is something I would get rid of in a heartbeat if I could, but all clouds have silver linings. One of those benefits is being able to go to disability forums and interact with a variety of differently abled people, without any questionable self representation. They are, like you say, “my people”.

It is interesting that you think your diagnosis may have intensified your BIID. Could you comment on the psychological mechanism of that?

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