Psychologist Blinds Woman to Make Her Happy

ClovenHoof

I have read some crazy stuff in my time. This takes the Middle Class 'Pity Me' Victim Complex with a whole new level.

http://nypost.com/2015/10/01/i-blinded-myself-on-purpose-and-have-never-been-happier/

By the time Shuping turned 21, the idea of being blind was “a non-stop alarm that was going off” and she sought the help of a sympathetic psychologist to help her carry out her ultimate desire in 2006.
The psychologist gave her eye-numbing drops before sprinkling a few droplets of drain cleaner into each pupil.
“It hurt, let me tell you. My eyes were screaming and I had some drain cleaner going down my cheek burning my skin,” she said.
“But all I could think was, ‘I am going blind, it is going to be okay.”

whiskeyman

I read that elsewhere and had to read it again to be sure.

Could she have gotten an eye transplant and donated them?

Anyway, it's just bizarre.

Wibbs

That "psychologist" should be struck off and locked up.

DEFTLEFTHAND

I wonder is the psychologist in question still practicing.

It should read ''Psychopath blinds unwell woman''

Pink Fairy

These are the the kind of threads you wish you hadn't clicked on

wakka12

Its not a pity victim complex..this woman was clearly suffering from much more serious mental health issues

whatismyname

wakka12 wrote: »

Its not a pity victim complex..this woman was clearly suffering from much more serious mental health issues

Yes. It clearly said she had a mental illness, and gave the name of it and a description.

People so quick to judge and make assumptions.

I'm certainly happy to judge that psychologist though. Can't understand what the heck they were thinking. Not ok.

osarusan

ClovenHoof wrote: »

I have read some crazy stuff in my time. This takes the Middle Class 'Pity Me' Victim Complex with a whole new level.

http://nypost.com/2015/10/01/i-blinded-myself-on-purpose-and-have-never-been-happier/

How do you know she is middle class?

Guy:Incognito

whiskeyman wrote: »

I read that elsewhere and had to read it again to be sure.

Could she have gotten an eye transplant and donated them?

Anyway, it's just bizarre.

I cant see (no pun intended) any doctor taking the properly functioning eyes from a healthy (physically) woman and rendering her blind , regardless of her not wanting to be able to see.

Tarzana2

Can't believe any reputable psych would be involved in this.

kupus

Tarzana2 wrote: »

Can't believe any reputable psych would be involved in this.

Why? Just cos they're a doctor. Some people love that power and power goes to their head in more ways than one unfortunately.
Harold shipman, another that butter wouldn't melt in his mouth yet a complete psycho

Timberrrrrrrr

I didn't see that coming.

Paramite Pie

This was not the help that this woman needed....

Knex*

“I really feel this is the way I was supposed to be born, that I should have been blind from birth,” Shuping told Barcroft Media

The afflicted woman knew from a young age she wanted to be blind, and would attempt to harm her eyesight by staring at the sun while “blind-simming,” or pretending to be blind.

Christ. I genuinely have no knowledge of how common this is, or how treatable it is.

The way she talks makes me draw parallels with how transgender people speak about themselves, but I'm not really sure that's related. The article describes it as a disorder, BIID, and theres a doctor saying that the need to be disabled cannot be cured.

But Jesus, you can't just go about pouring drain cleaner into someone's eye, no matter how much they ask for it, right? Yet she claims now to finally be happy.

**** it, I don't know what to think.

NachoBusiness

Sounds like that Xenomelia / Body Integrity Identity Disorder thing (seen a docu on recently) where people are convinced they should not have certain limbs. Some of these people have even preformed amputations on themselves.

Strange old world we find our selves frequenting.

Ghost Train

Could he not just have just given her an eye patch, for each eye

Penn

What would the psychologist have done if the woman said she kept dreaming of drowning? Waterboarded her?

mattP

Ghost Train wrote:

Could he not just have just given her an eye patch, for each eye

Could have saved himself this ensuing **** storm

astrofool

It sounds like the psychologist just gave her the drops, and she blinded herself.

wakka12

Knex. wrote: »

Christ. I genuinely have no knowledge of how common this is, or how treatable it is.

The way she talks makes me draw parallels with how transgender people speak about themselves, but I'm not really sure that's related. The article describes it as a disorder, BIID, and theres a doctor saying that the need to be disabled cannot be cured.

But Jesus, you can't just go about pouring drain cleaner into someone's eye, no matter how much they ask for it, right? Yet she claims now to finally be happy.

**** it, I don't know what to think.

No the psychologist is in no way a good person and shouldn't be thought of as one. If a person says theyre suicidal and you help them or coax them into committing the deed then you can get jail time. You should ring their family/police/ambulance or make sure they seek the professional help they need. This shouldn't be treated any differently

Greenmachine

I am utterly convinced I should have been born rich. If anyone know a sympathetic millionaire willing to help my plight, send their name on the back of a cornflakes box.

One eyed Jack

Knex. wrote: »

Christ. I genuinely have no knowledge of how common this is, or how treatable it is.

The way she talks makes me draw parallels with how transgender people speak about themselves, but I'm not really sure that's related. The article describes it as a disorder, BIID, and theres a doctor saying that the need to be disabled cannot be cured.

But Jesus, you can't just go about pouring drain cleaner into someone's eye, no matter how much they ask for it, right? Yet she claims now to finally be happy.

**** it, I don't know what to think.

Yep, they call it 'transabled' -


http://www.hngn.com/articles/97831/20150603/transabled-disabled-choice-body-integrity-identity-disorder.htm


That there's actually a 'community' for this behaviour that seeks to normalise it is frightening.

Ghost Train wrote: »

Could he not just have just given her an eye patch, for each eye

Wouldn't have achieved the same result at all. I'm blind in one eye and I wear an eye patch when the eye flares up as it looks unsightly for other people. I still know it's there, as opposed to when I don't have to wear it. It still feels unnatural, so I can understand why someone who would want to be blind, would be unsatisfied with an eye patch.

They're also called 'a pretender' in the 'transabled community'. The same goes for me having to use a crutch to get around sometimes. I'd prefer obviously if I didn't have to, as opposed to a person who identifies as transabled, they aren't happy until they achieve their disability, like the woman in the OP.

I understand it, but I would never encourage anyone who is experiencing these thoughts. I think that psychiatrist should be struck off for the completely unsafe manner in which they blinded this woman.

c_man

Is this guy a psychologist in the same way that Moe Szyslak is a surgeon?

NachoBusiness

Here's that docu I mentioned above..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-BcZcSZjJg

ClovenHoof

ClovenHoof wrote: »

I have read some crazy stuff in my time. This takes the Middle Class 'Pity Me' Victim Complex with a whole new level.

Not sure what this has to do with class - or victim complex issues. In fact this condition and similar ones have been recognised for some time in the literature.

Take for example "Body integrity identity disorder" - there are now whole online communities of people with this issue who support each other - talk on forums - and more.

There have been people who have had voluntary amputations for example - and have even travelled to other countries to have it performed if their own country banned the procedure. Such people simply feel - as counter intuitive as it may seem - incomplete with all 4 limbs.

We are only starting to understand this condition at the level of the brain - but it appears more and more that our brain maintains a "body map" which - if it goes in some way out of sync with other inputs or processing related to the actual body parts - can leave the patient with a constant unending feeling that some part of them is alien and does not belong.

And many such people go into the depths of depression about it. Even suicide. It is like the opposite of "Phantom limb" syndrome and is clearly very very debilitating to those that have it - and entirely constant with very little out there that can alleviate the suffering.

Clearly the best end game for science at this time is to work out how the body map is maintained and how interacts with everything else. We could then take patients like this and - rather than blind them - re-align their internal body map to stop their brain rejecting the limb or organ in this way.

Even that - the realignment of someone's self-identify - is not without moral implications or debate. But in the absence of such a treatment - the moral debate on how to proceed with people who are clearly genuinely suffering and even killing themselves - is not as simple and black+white as our internal "UGH" reaction tells us. The removal of a limb for some - has had them genuinely returning happy, grateful, and "cured". It is a moral and ethical minefield and not one moved forward on any level by opening comments about "class" or "victim mentality".

Calling it a pity party is just absolutely disgusting. She obviously had a severe mental condition that, instead of trying to do something about it, a psychologist, who is supposed to be in a position of trust, went along with the delusion and caused severe physical harm.

The psychologist should be prosecuted.

asherbassad

ClovenHoof wrote: »

I have read some crazy stuff in my time. This takes the Middle Class 'Pity Me' Victim Complex with a whole new level.

http://nypost.com/2015/10/01/i-blinded-myself-on-purpose-and-have-never-been-happier/

Do psychologists take the Hippocratic Oath....you know..."First, do no harm"?

This nutter is not fit to practise

osarusan

Snopes investigates:

http://m.snopes.com/2015/10/02/jewel-shuping-blind/

asherbassad

asherbassad wrote: »

Do psychologists take the Hippocratic Oath....you know..."First, do no harm"?

No idea if they do - but indeed - but what constitutes "harm" will very much impact the ethical debate on how to treat the various forms of BIID. It certainly is not as black and white as simply declaring the removal of a limb or organ as being a "harm". There is a greater and wider debate to be had on how to genuinely help these people - though as I said above I hope an actual treatment comes to light before such a debate has us making any errors.

But even a treatment would be morally tumultuous. At some level it involves medically altering someone's very identity. And history has shown us that does not sit well in moral discourse.

Imagine as an over simplified analogous thought experiment if trans-gender issues could be "cured" by simply realigning some internal mental representation of identity with the physical reality someone finds themselves in. That is to say - someone who has known from birth they are the "wrong" sex - and has identified thusly their entire life. What are the moral implications of walking up to such a person and saying "Yup - we can quite easily cure this for you".

You would be essentially offering to delete a large part of what made that person who they are - for their entire life - and to what end? To merely conform to what we consider "normal"? How different is this from someone who feels their left arm - or their ability to see - is alien and needs to go?

I hope a "treatment" for ALL these cases becomes an option for all of them in the future. I am all for options. But it will be interesting to see how many refuse it if it comes - and says "No thanks - keep your treatment - just lop off the arm".

conorhal

Deleted User wrote: »

Not sure what this has to do with class - or victim complex issues. In fact this condition and similar ones have been recognised for some time in the literature.

Take for example "Body integrity identity disorder" - there are now whole online communities of people with this issue who support each other - talk on forums - and more.

There have been people who have had voluntary amputations for example - and have even travelled to other countries to have it performed if their own country banned the procedure. Such people simply feel - as counter intuitive as it may seem - incomplete with all 4 limbs.

We are only starting to understand this condition at the level of the brain - but it appears more and more that our brain maintains a "body map" which - if it goes in some way out of sync with other inputs or processing related to the actual body parts - can leave the patient with a constant unending feeling that some part of them is alien and does not belong.

And many such people go into the depths of depression about it. Even suicide. It is like the opposite of "Phantom limb" syndrome and is clearly very very debilitating to those that have it - and entirely constant with very little out there that can alleviate the suffering.

Clearly the best end game for science at this time is to work out how the body map is maintained and how interacts with everything else. We could then take patients like this and - rather than blind them - re-align their internal body map to stop their brain rejecting the limb or organ in this way.

Even that - the realignment of someone's self-identify - is not without moral implications or debate. But in the absence of such a treatment - the moral debate on how to proceed with people who are clearly genuinely suffering and even killing themselves - is not as simple and black+white as our internal "UGH" reaction tells us. The removal of a limb for some - has had them genuinely returning happy, grateful, and "cured". It is a moral and ethical minefield and not one moved forward on any level by opening comments about "class" or "victim mentality".

I wonder if it's a dissorder related to OCD in some way, at least in the way that the brain processes mal-thought.
There was a really interesting discussion about OCD on RTE a few weeks back and the sufferer described how debilitating the condition was and how incorrect most peoples perceptions of it are. Most people think if it as a compulsion to wash your hands for example, but that is merely a symptiom of the condition. The condition relates to the constant impingemet of obsessive thoughts that can only be alleviated by performing an action to alleviate the anxiety that they cause. This becomes a deeply ingrained behaviour.

sbsquarepants

I don't know if I necessarily believe this story - but lets presume it's legit just for the sake of the discussion.
Unhappy woman goes to psychologist for treatment, psychologist does his thing, woman is delighted with the results - how is that anything other than a success?
People go to doctors all the time and ask for their bodies to be modified in any number of ways from fairly minor things like collagen for fuller lips up to major surgery like gender reassignment. I think the real issue is who actually owns your body? You or society at large.
I have to say, I own "me", nobody else does!
Should you be allowed cut off your arm or leg if you don't want it to be there? It seems a crazy thing to do to me, but then so does botox, so does liposuction, so do a lot of things that a lot of people do every day of the week. At the end of the day what business is it of mine? If someone else wants to do it, let them have at it I say.

Medusa22

Deleted User wrote: »

No idea if they do - but indeed - but what constitutes "harm" will very much impact the ethical debate on how to treat the various forms of BIID. It certainly is not as black and white as simply declaring the removal of a limb or organ as being a "harm". There is a greater and wider debate to be had on how to genuinely help these people - though as I said above I hope an actual treatment comes to light before such a debate has us making any errors.

But even a treatment would be morally tumultuous. At some level it involves medically altering someone's very identity. And history has shown us that does not sit well in moral discourse.

Imagine as an over simplified analogous thought experiment if trans-gender issues could be "cured" by simply realigning some internal mental representation of identity with the physical reality someone finds themselves in. That is to say - someone who has known from birth they are the "wrong" sex - and has identified thusly their entire life. What are the moral implications of walking up to such a person and saying "Yup - we can quite easily cure this for you".

You would be essentially offering to delete a large part of what made that person who they are - for their entire life - and to what end? To merely conform to what we consider "normal"? How different is this from someone who feels their left arm - or their ability to see - is alien and needs to go?

I hope a "treatment" for ALL these cases becomes an option for all of them in the future. I am all for options. But it will be interesting to see how many refuse it if it comes - and says "No thanks - keep your treatment - just lop off the arm".

You bring up a really interesting point there. It's similar to some people in the deaf community who have reacted negatively to medical advancements such as the cochlear implant, as they are happy being deaf as they don't see it as a disability but rather being part of a community or a culture and they shun any medical aids to help them to hear.

As for the woman in the OP, and for people who identify as ''transabled'', well it is just a mindfcuk for me really. On the one hand I think that these people desperately need psychological help, but if there really is no ''cure'' as such, and these urges or intrusive thoughts about their limbs or bodies cause them so much pain that they consider or attempt suicide, then perhaps the best thing to do is to remove the limb that is causing them so much mental anguish. At least until some sort of psychological support can ease the symptoms this is an option, though it doesn't sit well with me either, I don't envy being a psychologist attempting to treat a patient like this, when the ''cure'' seems to be so obvious, but so radical and I wonder if it the best outcome for the patient. This woman is happy now that she is blind, but I do not believe that any psychologist should have helped her to become blind, regardless of how much she was suffering mentally. However, as another poster said, shouldn't your body be yours for you to do what you please with it? Is it entirely different to body modification or cosmetic surgeries? I am going to watch the documentary that Nachobusiness embedded in his OP because I find this all really interesting.

Skullface McGubbin

One eyed Jack wrote: »

Yep, they call it 'transabled' -


http://www.hngn.com/articles/97831/20150603/transabled-disabled-choice-body-integrity-identity-disorder.htm


That there's actually a 'community' for this behaviour that seeks to normalise it is frightening.





Wouldn't have achieved the same result at all. I'm blind in one eye and I wear an eye patch when the eye flares up as it looks unsightly for other people. I still know it's there, as opposed to when I don't have to wear it. It still feels unnatural, so I can understand why someone who would want to be blind, would be unsatisfied with an eye patch.

They're also called 'a pretender' in the 'transabled community'. The same goes for me having to use a crutch to get around sometimes. I'd prefer obviously if I didn't have to, as opposed to a person who identifies as transabled, they aren't happy until they achieve their disability, like the woman in the OP.

I understand it, but I would never encourage anyone who is experiencing these thoughts. I think that psychiatrist should be struck off for the completely unsafe manner in which they blinded this woman.

Jesus. I can see the possibility of this mental illness (for lack of a better term) being re-imagined as a civil rights issue by activists in the future (like the Left have been doing with other psychiatric disorders). That psychologist should be sacked in my opinion for enabling such madness.

Anywho, if I can't find a regular parking spot, I can just park in a disabled space and say that I identify as disabled and accuse anyone who disagrees of being trans-disabled-phobic bigots.

I am not sure what mental illness or disorder has been turned into a civil rights issue - let alone by whatever this "left" is - so it is hard to draw comparisons with something you have not identified. But certainly if it turns out that acquiescence to their amputation desire is the only treatment for it - then it will make itself a rights issue without anyone having to push too hard.