What are your thoughts on people becoming disabled by choice?

They probably should see a doctor.
The psychology doctor, that is.

I think it sounds really weird.

I understand that it is a mental illness and not voluntary, but I can’t help feeling pissed. Appreciate your working bodies, you fuckwits, you don’t understand how good you have it.

My initial thought was that there are so very few of these people that they aren’t worth spending a lot of time thinking about, that the article is sensational and attempting to push just another hot button for the vast population that is media addicted, and that certain accademics have found yet another marginal affliction to study and possibly enhance their carreers. I now am positive that all the above are fact.

It is no surprise to me that most of these people live in countries—Germany and Switzerland—with excellent social welfare systems where they can live the rest of their lives in comfort while the populations around them work and support them with their taxes—thereby eventually threatening a very good social welfare system. And now that these people’s self-mutilation is given a veilance of legitimacy by academia with a diagnostic name, “Transabled”, it is only a matter of time before this insanity spreads and these people will be asking for the same rights as the transgenderd, the transsexuals, the transvestites and the many other “trannies”—whom I believe are legitimate.

I believe, at this time, that these “transabled” people should be vilified and this is why:
We all belong to a society whether we like it or not. It is our duty, as members of our societies, to contribute to them what we can.

To purposely do something that can prevent oneself from contributing and simultaneously make them dependents or even threaten to make them dependent, should be considered a crime. It should be recognised as a psychiatric problem, and it should be advertised that if these people don’t seek help before carrying out these acts of crippling self mutilation, they should be punished as welfare cheats. At this time, I believe that the are welfare cheats and are endangering good, necessary programs for others who desperately need assistance.

We punish alcoholics who don;t seek help and damage property, hurt, and kill people. These people need to be punished for not seeking help and endangering social welfare programs and not given legitimacy by academia.

It’s a mental illness.

It should be examined in case it’s a mental illness, but I think it’s bullshit and these people are welfare cheats. Notice that most of the people who are doing this do it mostly in two countries, both with excellent social welfare programs—much, much better than in the U.S. If it was for real, it would be spread evenly throughout the populations. It’s bullshit and must be nipped at the bud. It is a crime.

Stop the world I wanna get off!

@Espiritus_Corvus Who in the world would disable themselves just do get a “free ride”? That really is insane.

@anniereborn It is. That is why I suggest a psyche eval. But the evidence that this is a thing primarily in two countries that have excellent taxpayer paid universal healthcare and disability support, and not in places like the US that doesn’t, leads me to believe that it is about scamming the system. I personally think they can do whatever they want, but it is things like this that cause conservative and liberal taxpayers alike to over react and make these benefits much harder to get for people that need them. I believe these so-called “transabled” people are welfare scammers and are endangering some of the best and efficient social welfare systems in the world..

^^ It is rare, but more common than you think and has historic precedence. Beggars in places like Clacutta and Cairo have been known to mutilate themselves or paying a fagan to blind them or cut off a hand or foot in order to bring more pity upon themselves and thus more alms. Insane, but true.

I would believe that it is a mental illness that causes a sincere desire to be disabled, but that people only act upon it in countries where they can be reasonably sure they’ll survive losing a limb. Similarly, you don’t hear much about people being gay or transgender in countries where you’ll be stoned to death for that kind of thing, yet we don’t doubt the sincerity of LGBT folks for that.

@Mariah, that was very eloquently put.

I think at least in some cases the persons see disabled people receiving attention, sympathy, pity, and they want that for themselves. I believe there are a few people who want attention so badly they are wlling to give up skills and some independence for it.
I think it is a price they are willing to pay to have some people “care” about them.

Mental