Body Integrity Dysphoria

Body integrity dysphoria, also called xenomelia or body integrity identity disorder, is a condition in which a person feels a persistent mismatch between their mental body image and their actual body, typically experienced as an intense desire for the amputation of a specific limb, most often the left leg, or for paralysis, blindness, or deafness. Onset is usually reported between the ages of eight and twelve, and more than half of those affected describe childhood contact with an amputee, with symptoms beginning soon after that contact in most of those cases. The condition appears to affect predominantly men, though researchers state there is no evidence that sexual orientation is a relevant factor.