Broken cyborgs are not in control of their own body, not insane. The problem is that there is no reason to expect invasive, but non-cerebral modifications to generally alter the mind of the subject other than a sense of sanctity regarding the human body (which is the route Shadowrun took). I would personally expect a greater loss of humanity/self from killing NPCs, and to a lesser extent, zombies.
There might be specific cases where bionics affect the mind (such as a bionic heart cutting out the reinforcing effect of a heightened heart rate on fear or stress responses), but those should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Then I guess I’m guilty of “dehumanising” anyone who decides that cutting away healthy flesh, organs and limbs to replace them with weapons, tools and conveniences is a good choice to make.
Even though I’m actually not and would actually look at it more in line with something like BIID or in a similiar vein.
Again, I’ll repeat: Just because shadowrun has been hamfisted about it doesn’t mean a better system with some similarity couldn’t work here.
If the name is the issue, call it something else. The bionic version of Metallassomaiphile, artificialisphile or some other less hacked together word.
Edit: I guess artificialiscorpusphile would be better then artificialisphile but it’s still a hacked together word.
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I guess the issue is what causes what. Being a certain flavour of crazy might make you get unnecessary bionics, but getting bionics does not make you crazy. Getting bionics against your will would probably be traumatic, and a person might deeply regret a given procedure, but there is no direct causal connection from implanted machinery to mental instability. It would simply be a more invasive, non-medically necessary body modification, like getting a piercing, tattoo, or plastic surgery.
I’d argue that all bionics as represented in the game, with a very small number of exceptions in very specific circumstances, are “unnecessary”.
I would like to clarify that CP2020 cyberpsicosis and dehumanizing people who has to wear prostetics is absolutely not the same. And mainly is the fault of whoever decided that the manual had to be written in a “hip” way. Much misunderstanding of the game occurs because they try to talk the tech thing dumbed down as if they were talking to a “chum”.
Cyberpsicosis is different from cybernetic adaptation. When you’re getting an implant in CP, your humanity temporarily falls to reflect the feeling of alienation this implants makes you feel. You can slowly recover your humanity via psicologic treatment. Sounds familiar? That’s because it’s basically very similar to getting a prostesis. You need an adaptation period until you feel “you” again.
The problem in the CP universe (and that is a very replicable problem in Cataclysm) is that mostly is easier to get implants than to get treatment. And with the motto “live fast and leave a beautiful corpse”, people is eager to “chrome” themselves faster than their bodies can cope.
So cyberpsicosis starts as an addiction, but ends up being quite worse. Symptoms start with feelings of alienation from society, and ends up with rejection of humanity as whole. In the manual this is posed as simply transforming into a psicotic killing machine, but a c-psycho can also transform into something similar to Ozymandias or Dr Manhattan in “Watchmen”, or even simply have a mental breakdown and flatline. Of course this is not very funny so these are not outcomes that are explicitly stated in the manual, more through the flavour text.
Incidentally, cyberpsicosis can also occur on genetic treatments (CP equivalent to mutations).
And yes, is much less nuanced than cybernetics in Ghost in the Shell. But at the same time, I always felt that in GiTS they don’t dwell a lot on the trauma of transforming your body. You see people living in a box with wheels with no apparent issues whatsoever and that is not consistent about what we know about humans who suffer massive trauma.
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There may not be solid evidence that adding cynernetics to ones self causes mental harm but there sure as heck is mental harm caised by removing parts.