As stated in the Hippocratic Oath, “do no harm.” Doctors, including psychiatrists, are not supposed to purposely injure their patients.
One doctor broke this oath recently. Jewel Shuping, a woman from North Carolina, had her psychologist blind her with drain cleaner, because she felt like she should always have been blind.
Jewel has a disorder known as BIID or Body Integrity Identity Disorder. This disorder makes the inflicted feel like a part of their body shouldn’t be there or should be different. In Jewel’s case, she has felt that she should have been blind ever since she was a child.
This is a serious disorder, and doctors who treat these patients should not be going around fulfilling their patients’ wishes. Doctors should not be injuring people on purpose, whether the patient wants it or not.
I am not personally blind but I believe that casting aside your working eyesight is an insult to people who are already blind. I believe it is similar to the issue of food waste in America. We throw away tons of food a year when there are needs in other places. While there are groups of blind people who are fine without regaining sight according to Rebecca Atkinson from the Guardian, I personally believe this woman has recklessly thrown away what 285 million people lack and some would be ecstatic to receive again.
Most doctors have to say an oath that prohibits them from mischief and injury to their patients. This doctor should be personally required to realize how he personally injured that woman and the problems that will occur in the future. While the patient in question is happy at this point from her psychiatrist’s help, she is also injured at a young age which later on will cause problems for her. There has to be a better way to go about fixing this disorder without having to go to such extreme measures.
This is a problem and instead of following through with these requests of those with BIID, psychologists should figure out a better way to help them without having to physically maim them.
