Apotemnophilia

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the symptoms and mental state of those who suffer from apotemnophilia, a rare disorder, experienced by mentally competent people that want healthy limbs and/or digits removed from their bodies. It considers several factors such as: What apotemnophilia is, if amputation may be an effective way to treat the disorder, possible psychological causes and why amputation may be actually be necessary. It also discusses the ethical aspects of amputating healthy limbs and why this disorder is not yet included in the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychological Disorders" (DSM).

From the Paper:

"Apotemnophiles are often confused with acrotomophiles. The difference between the two is that acrotomophiles gain sexual gratification by being with or fantasizing about a person who has a disability or amputation. John Money (1977) originally coined the term "apotemnophilia" while looking at case studies of two men who became sexually aroused by the thought of being with a person who had an amputation or having one themselves (Money, 1977, p.117). It is likely that these two men were acrotomophiles, however the term apotemnophilia (note the suffix) has stood the test of time. Apotemnophiles simply wish to have their amputation(s) performed in an effort to become "whole". Apotemnophilia is not a problem of sexual desire, but a problem of body image (Elliot, p.73). "

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