Gender Dysphoria
| the feeling of discomfort or distress that might occur in people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth or sex-related physical characteristics |
Made by a nonbinary lesbian :)
About it
- It is estimated that one in 30,000 male births and one in 100,000 female births are diagnosed with gender dysphoria
- It was not until 1980 that the diagnosis "transexualism" first appeared in the DSM–III
- There may be periods where gender dysphoria is no longer present or a recurrence of gender dysphoria
Causes
- Gender dysphoria does not have a direct cause, it develops and progresses differently for everyone
- Gender dysphoria may start in childhood and be present through adolescence and adulthood
Symptoms
- A strong desire to get rid of certain assigned gender at birth characteristics
- Wanting characteristics of the opposite sex
- Wanting to be the other gender or different from assigned gender
- Wanting to be treated as the other gender or different from assigned gender
- Believing that you have typical feelings of the other gender or different from assigned gender
- Significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other areas of functioning
- Disliking appearance in pictures and mirrors
- Feeling comfortable only when you're in the gender role of your preferred gender identity
Progression
- Gender dysphoria is not a mental illness so there is not a clear "progression"
- There is not a clear timeline, it can develop and progress however it wants
- It can develop in childhood or even adulthood
- Every person with gender dysphoria is different, some have it more severe than others
Treatment/Therapy
- Treatment for something like this is not like a mental illness where the goal is to minimize it, this type of diagnosis requires working with it instead of against it
- Treatment needs to be individualized, what works for one person might not work for other people
- If untreated, people can experience symptoms such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, and suicide attempts.
Psychotherapy
- Therapy for dealing with the anxiety and depression that come with gender dysphoria
Biomedical
- Gender-reassignment surgery
- Taking hormones such as estrogen or testosterone
Personal Story #1
1. Elliot Page - transgender man
- "There was so much press, so many premieres all around the world, I was wearing dresses and heels to pretty much every single event. We got back to the room and [his manager] was like 'I have a surprise.' I already had to wear a dress I already had picked out and I went in and there were three dresses laid out, like new dresses to maybe see, and I just like, I lost it."
Personal Story #2
2. Mae Martin - nonbinary
- "The way I feel about my gender identity is ongoing and evolving, and it’s personal, but I thought it might be good to say for clarity and in case anyone finds it helpful – I’m nonbinary, my pronouns are they/she (I love it when people say “they” but I don’t mind “she” at ALL). I’m very bisexual and attracted to people of all genders. I experience gender dysphoria sometimes – not always! – and have done since I was a tiny kid."
Personal Story #3
3. Canela López - transmasculine
- "I started testosterone the same day the US passed its first trans medical ban. On April 6, I began hormone replacement therapy to treat my gender dysphoria, a common mental health problem for trans people. It was a huge step. My body has been an acute source of anxiety and pain since I hit puberty.
Personal Story #4
4. CeCe McDonald - bi trans woman
- Finally seeing her outer self match her inner self “was definitely something like a relief,” she remembers. In an important move for CeCe, she called her mother to re-establish ties after years of separation. “Are those real?” Christi exclaimed when she finally got her first glimpse of CeCe post-hormones, and CeCe laughed in reply."
Personal Story #5
1. Laverne Cox - transgender woman
- "I've got to tell you, I struggled with this stuff every single day. But for today, I have to tell myself that this is it — this is who I am and what I look like. Today I have to look in the mirror and say not only that this is enough, but that this is beautiful."
Organizations
Some really great and supportive transgender and non binary organizations are:
- Trans Lifeline
- The Trevor Project
- Gender Spectrum
- GLAAD
- LGBTribe
Reducing the Stigma
Some common stigmas or misconceptions about gender dysphoria are:
Gender identity and gender expression are the same thing.
- They are not, gender identity is how someone identifies on the inside while gender expression is how someone expresses their gender
Gender dysphoria is a mental illness.
- Gender dysphoria can lead to people having mental illnesses but itself is not a mental illness
Important!!
- Gender dysphoria is not a choice!!
- Gender dysphoria can be so intense that it interferes with your normal life
- Gender dysphoria is NOT homosexuality, gender and sexuality are two separate concepts
- It can start from very young or not until adulthood, do not assume every trans/nonbinary person has it.
- Not every transgender person has dysphoria and you do not need dysphoria to be transgender
- Non-binary and other gender identities also can have dysphoria, it's not something that just transgender people deal with
- Be respectful to everyone with dysphoria! They are fighting a battle that some of you know nothing about!!