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Ok, then I'm wondering what the medical profession thinks of BIID and what treatments there are.
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Not being in the medical profession, it's hard for me to answer that. Most people I've talked to in the medical field have been more curious than anything else, and have spent lots of time asking questions. I haven't had any really bad experiences with the medical community around being transabled. The best site for overall information on BIID I've found is
Main Page - BIID-Info.org.
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They apparently didn't ask you because you were in a wheelchair. I am wondering if you feel that you being in the wheelchair is of your own doing or if you have an overwhelming, uncontrollable feeling that you have to use one. I'd have the pass out anyway so people won't see you appear to board with no pass and think negatively about it.
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If there's a chance to show them my pass I always will. If they're waving me through (or holding a gate open for me in the case of light rail), I won't hold them up by getting my pass out, I'll just go through. I do try to show my pass whenever there's a chance to though.
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Do you realize that the the accommodations for people in wheelchairs are finite? There are only so many places on each bus to put wheelchairs in. What if there was something like a fire? Would you want people to think you can't move well without the wheelchair and risk their lives to help you when you really can walk okay?
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I do realize this. There are two spots for wheelchairs on our busses (and one on light rail, but I don't use the dedicated spots there), and it's very, very rare to see even one of them in use. I've never had anyone denied access to a bus because I was using it. If it happens, it happens though. As I said before, I don't believe my need for a wheelchair is any less valid than anyone else just because mine isn't a physical need.
I never claim to not be able to walk, so the latter situation you're pointing out isn't an issue for me. I keep my forearm crutches with me when using my wheelchair, which makes it pretty obvious that I can walk short distances with them.
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Again, I wonder about the treatments the medical and psychological communities would have for BIID and if that would include using wheelchairs if the person feels like they need one. I also wonder if they could detect signs of BIID on brain scans someday.
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There aren't many treatments for BIID, unfortunately. A lot of different medications for anxiety, OCD, depression, etc. have been tried and pretty much none have been helpful much. Therapy can help get more insight into the feelings, but doesn't tend to actually help diminish them at all. About the only things that tend to be helpful are achieving the impairment you need (which isn't possible with some, like MS) or living your life as if you have it (as I do). So yes, using a wheelchair if you need one does tend to be the most helpful thing that people have found so far. Same thing would apply to things other than MS, people who need to be paras use wheelchairs, those that need to be blind use long canes, braille, etc.
There are very few studies about people with BIID, and I don't know of any around brain scans. It's very hard to get a sizable number of people with BIID to participate in studies, first of all because there aren't that many of us to begin with, and secondly because real-life studies have obvious anonymity problems. Most transabled people are extremely careful that their transabledness not get out, so meeting with people in real life for studies isn't something most of us are willing to do.
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Why want to have multiple sclerosis? I'm sure many people won't want to lose myelin in their brains and spinal cords, resulting in impaired functioning.
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It's not something I have an explanation for, just how I am. 'want' isn't a good word for it, 'need' describes it a lot better. I agree most people don't and can't understand why I need this, and I don't even claim to understand it. It's just how I am.
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I also wonder if there are any people who say they have BIID and want to have a condition that doesn't actually exist or would not permit life, like not breathing or having heartbeats anymore.
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I've not heard of anyone like that, pretty much every transabled person I've ever met has had a need for some condition that does exist and does permit life.
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I wonder if there are treatments for hypersensitivity to sensory input.
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There are, but personally I've not found much that helps. I try to avoid strong light and/or sound stimulation (the latter being easier as I'm HOH) where I can, and spend time at home away from both of those, replacing them with tactile where I can.
-rf