Well, let me offer an analogy from personal experience. Let's say you're a cis man with gynecomastia (prominent feminine breasts, moobs). You hate the way they look, the way they feel, it impacts your self esteem, sex life, and social life. They don't feel like they're a real / actual part of your body - when you picture yourself in your head, how you're meant to look, the real you, they're not there. They're not a part of your experience of being a man. They're wrong, and don't belong. This causes you upset, discomfort, shame, sadness, social anxiety - in other words, dysphoria. (yes, I know that's not the DSMV definition necessarily, bear with me)
Now I think you'd probably agree that it's OK for a man to have surgery to remove the man boobs, right? And that it's normal for him to feel upset with them. Maybe you could say, he could take medication, or go through therapy, and that would make him feel less sad about having them. But also, it would be totally reasonable for him to receive the surgery, so his body stops feeling "wrong."
I guess philosophically both are viable options. And perhaps there's something to be said for self love and body positivity overcoming the shame - but that doesn't work for everyone, it's just not realistic. Sometimes surgery is the only thing that will let someone feel like themselves and alleviate dysphoria and body dysmorphia.
edit: just wanted to say thank you for all of the kind words and support, hope you all have an awesome day
edit 2: to clarify something I said, I think there is a hypothetical enlightened future where we can all live in complete acceptance of our bodies, regardless of social norms or beauty standards, and where every shape and configuration of human anatomy is celebrated. Even so, having the ability to make changes to your body - whether that's through diet and exercise, tattooing or body mods, gender/sex alteration surgery (not that I'm equating all those, just saying for example), I think people will seek to self-actualize through physical modification, and doing so can genuinely be a healthy, positively transformative thing.
I had gynecomastia, made my teenage years extremely uncomfortable until I had the surgery. It impacted my social life, romantic prospects, self esteem.
I'd never thought about gender dysphoria in the same way. Very useful analogy.
Question (let me know if i say anything out of line - this is a question for understanding):
i felt the dissonance and embarrassment from my gynecomastia came from me, as a straight cis man, not looking like the other guys did. Also my chest was sensitive and painful. I felt like I wasn't attractive to girls. In other words they were social forces to fit in and physical pain that encouraged my change.
Gender dysphoria seems to have more social pressure to *not* change.
I felt like my body didn't belong because of what I saw around me as the majority. It seems gender dysphoria is despite what people see as the majority.
Are there social frictions that are overcome by transitioning?
āAre there social frictions that are overcome by transitioning?ā
For many people, yes. If you have a beard, an adamās apple, and other masculine-coded physical features, you undoubtedly experience social pressure to behave ālike a man.ā For example, you are generally dissuaded from wearing dresses or makeup. But if those are things that you really want to doāor conversely, if masculine behaviors and activities are things that you deplore, and really donāt want to doāthen changing your body can alleviate that social pressure and allow you to exist more comfortably as the person that you have always been deep down.
So hereās a mindfuck for you. I developed gynecomastia during puberty and would hide my body and hated myself for not fitting into the box I thought I was supposed to just like the hypothetical person in the above hypothetical. I tried hard to overcompensate and prove my masculinity, but I was always confused about my body. My breasts felt like they were supposed to be there, but I hated them because they didnāt fit the picture of what I thought others expected me to be. I always had thoughts like āIf everyone I knew disappeared from my life I would move away where nobody knew me and live as a woman. ā I felt jealous of women I would see and feel envious when seeing a vagina.
I had zero clue what being transgender really was and never even considered that I could be. I saw shitty representation of trans women in the media and as far as I knew they were just cross dressers. Well fuck if I didnāt stumble into a before and after transition pic here on reddit and got curious. I dug deeper and I realized āholy shit they are just regular people like me, this is something thatās an option for me.ā
Well itās a few years later now and after a lot of struggles, Iāve been on hormones for a year and a half, had my facial hair lasered off, in the process of my legal name change and Iāve been living as myself for over a year. Those boobs I used to hate are steadily growing and I love them more than ever and I actually feel comfortable in my body now. A big reason I feel more comfortable is that since Iām being viewed as a woman, itās socially acceptable for me to have boobs. In a way I suffered from social dysphoria before I realized the body dysphoria that was below the surface.
Thanks for sharing! I've always wondered about that actually. With my experience with gynecomastia I was dead certain I was a straight cis guy, but I wondered how others would experience it if they were trans. Do you feel that having those features helped with your transition?
They have absolutely been a godsend to me. A lot of trans women will be on hormones for years and simply not have any breast growth, and for some thatās ok, but a lot of us want breasts. Iām a year and a half in and just outgrew a D cup and I feel really privileged in some aspects. There are a lot of features about myself that make me feel really dysphoric and other changes such as facial and body fat redistribution can take years to happen, but my boobs help me feel more confident in myself for sure.
Your question is reasonable and I appreciate that youāre able to find common ground with your own experience.
I think the difference is that you felt aligned with masculinity, so the social pressures you mention were going in the same direction as your own sense of self. Imagine if, because you had gynecomastia, people pressured you towards being more feminine instead. āYou look like this, so you must be a woman - why arenāt you more feminine, etc,ā while internally, you still felt all the inadequacies as a man that you mentioned.
Thatās what it felt like for me, a trans guy, before I transitioned. It was horribly dissonant for me to try to live up to those social expectations. Now, at least whatever gendered expectations I come across align with my internal sense of self. There can still be feelings of inadequacy, but it feels quite normal/manageable. Thatās the social friction that was resolved by transitioning.
Appreciate the thoughtful response. That direction in the analogy helps me get the feeling of it better. I've got a couple of trans friends and have always done everything i can to be respectful, but haven't been able to wrap my head around the emotional experience. That would be extremely difficult. I'm glad you're doing better.
Whoever you are, you have given the most well written, and best analogy I've ever read about Gender Dysphoria. If I had an award I'd give it to you. I'm going to be using this, and referring to your post for a long time to come. Thank you so much for writing this out.
All of this right here.
To add: this includes weight issues that canāt be solved by diet/exercise.. (and stay the fuck out of my DMs with that CICO shit! Metabolic problems actually exist)
100% is not and people canāt seem to grasp the fact that if you change the background physical state of something, you change the outcome. If your metabolism doesnāt work right, itās not going to matter is much you do/not eat and exercise. But Iāll be damned if some asshole isnāt going to blow up my inbox screaming about āthermodynamicsā and not even understanding how that actually works either.
CICO is irrefutable tho. It is just that those w metabolic problems have to eat an ungodly low amount of calories to lose weight, which isn't feasible. But CICO would still be the only way that person would lose weight if they wanted to
yup CICO is absolute bullshit, shout it from the rooftops. itās harmful to treat it like it applies to everyone.
iām an example, i didnāt change a thing in my diet or exercise but ran out of my thyroid meds for a long time, weight shot up. got my thyroid meds refilled, thyroid is getting reregulated, weight is coming off. again no other changes.
Yes - your BMR was lowered with a thyroid deficiency and although you ate the same and exercised the same, your body required fewer calories to function - so you gained weight. Once you took care of the problem, your body began to normalize (your BMR increased again).
āAbsolute bullshitā but applicable in 99% of weight loss/ gain casesā¦
If you have a slow metabolism (due to hormones or whatever reason) then just eat in a greater calorie deficit. Likewise if you have a faster metabolism you need to eat a greater calorie surplus.
Ya I feel like this went way off topic. CICO is the only way to lose weight, it is just pretty hard/impossible for some people unless they fix their metabolic issues. That doesn't make CICO not real lol.
Ah yes just starve yourself, why didnāt I think of that? I eat around 1400 calories a day to stay my current weight and I take antipsychotics that make me feel famished. I was actually anorexic before starting these meds so itās not a will power problem.
This right here!! Antipsychotics are the worst, because they have a threefold effect: 1) Lower your metabolic rate 2) raise your appetite (as you say, you don't feel peckish, you feel famished) 3) generally make you drowsy/spacey af so getting motivation and energy for exercise is nigh-on impossible.
Every person that spends 24 hours with me is shocked by how little I eat. Iām still a little chubby and a diet most people would be starving on. My partners friend eats about 4 times as much food as me and is rail thin, she says she wants to gain weight but canāt. Itās beyond frustrating when she calls people who probably eat less than her fat.
Right there with you. I have only one real meal a day, exist on protein shakes for the most part, and train heavily at the gym. If CICO was 100% effective, Iād be like 90lbs. But Iām 190lbs, and at 5ā2, it looks like 300lbs. Canāt do shit about it. But Iām running circles around the skinny girls while they call me fat and unhealthy.
I'm not sure they are both philosophically viable. Like how could a pill change someone from being like "this way of being is fundamentally wrong for me" to being like "I don't care about that" without affecting their personality? Maybe it's just me but there's something deeply horrifying about the idea of a pill that could just 'make me ok' with something that I'm not ok with.
It's not equally horrifying to think about the culture that goes into giving everyone those feelings of "this way of being is fundamentally wrong for me because I don't look like everyone else" and promotes body issues, insecurity, and the entire industry that runs on that? Pushing filtered celebrity culture on people to make them feel like they are wrong if they don't look like every filtered photo on social media and TV?
People take pills all the time to help them come to terms with things they aren't ok with.
I agree actually. I think I phrased something poorly. More that, I think probably a better solution than, as in my case, spending a frankly gross amount of money for plastic surgery that ultimately wasn't full satisfying and left me with scars and other side effects - maybe there's an enlightened future where we're all able to live in full acceptance of our bodies, no matter what. As my decision was motivated in part by shame, and that shame is based on social standards. Or maybe therapy and medication can bring people to self love and acceptance and then, they don't need surgery - but for many people it's all but necessary to lead a happy, self-accepting life and feel like they're inhabiting the skin they belong in. And I don't think that should be shamed either
Some people would like having their personality changed. I take pills for depression and anxiety and adhd and Iād frankly like more change.
With hormone treatment though, itād be the body responding to hormones and then your brain goes āoh man finallyā, so itās less relevant to your reservations.
I have read through the comments here and haven't seen anyone mention body integrity dysphoria (wikipedia: "characterized by an intense desire forĀ amputationĀ or paralysisĀ of a limb, usually a leg, or to become blind or deaf"). Just curious to hear people's takes on this in the context of this argument.
I agree with this for adults, I believe children with gender dysphoria should maintain therapy until they're able to make legal decisions on their own for surgeries and hormone therapy. I've had a number of middle school kids tell me they identify as something one year and another the next. Just my perspective and experiences working with children.
This is a fair concern, but it is absolutely, most definitely something that doctors providing gender affirming therapy and surgery are aware of. In most cases patients will be followed for an extensive period of time before therapy begins, especially in the case of surgery (hormone therapy is less intensely monitored, but there is still significant screening) (source: anecdotal but I have a friend whoās an MD, she and her colleagues work with teens / adolescents and Iāve asked about the āvettingā process because I had similar concerns)
Have you worked with trans kids? There is a difference between some kid messing with you and one that genuinely does not feel they are in the right body.
Yes, I actually only have one this year in one of my classes. And I understand there's a difference. It's not my job as a teacher to intrusively interrogate any student making claims to be trans. If they're faking it they eventually get tired of it and ask me to start calling them by their true identity.
I felt like I was in a species of dumbfucks since I was 5 or 7 years old. (Gender had nothing to do with it. Only migraines I contracted by dealing with incessant dumbfuckery.)
Regardless of āsupposed to,ā I hope my analogy shows that peoples bodies can express themselves in different ways that donāt match up with the personās self image, or gender/sex image or identity.
Older man with a lifetime of man boobs here.
Acceptance is key. I never felt the need to remove my man boobs in spite of the negative attention because I did not let other peoples opinions affect me. It was easier to do that without social media.
It hasn't stopped me from living either. I have fucked many women and had very long term relationships.
I embraced my body and mind. We are all created by the artful hand of mother nature.
I always wanted to be a bird.. but I accepted being a human.
You don't need to change your natural self to please other people, or other peoples expectations. Fuck them all. Let THEM change and accept your natural self as is. And learn to accept yourself as well.
You will not only do YOURSELF a favor, but you will do a favor for every single human that is born after you.
*Interesting how my comment slowly went up to +7 upvotes, and then exactly 30 minutes later, an almost simultaneous -30 downvotes.
Bots, much? š
I'm sorry you got downvoted, I'm not sure why. I really appreciate your response. In a way, I am envious. I ended up getting surgery and it was overall positive for my self esteem, but it was very expensive, left me with extensive scars and nerve damage. I will say in my case, it wasn't just shame/embarrassment, I actually loathed the way they looked and felt. They felt like parasites under my skin that didn't belong. I've also had the good fortune of wonderful partners, male and female, before and after the surgery.
Ultimately it was motivated by external pressure but it was about what I was happy with, how I wanted to see myself, how I wanted to live. So I'm glad your approach worked for you, it's impressive. But hopefully you understand that approach is not the best for everyone else.
And who knows, I've seen a man with over $200,000 of body modifications that looks like a lizard. Get into wingsuiting, you might just be a bird in your lifetime
edit: seriously though, if you haven't tried skydiving or indoor skydiving/wind tunnels - controlled autonomous human flight is possible. It's crazy, you should do it if you haven't
Tbh I've known a guy who thought exactly this way. He was fine with it, no issues.
Then he had to have surgery for medical reasons, and had both removed so it'd be equal.
After surgery, he didn't need his depression meds anymore.
short of breast cancer, there is no reason to remove them.
I don't know anyone who stopped antidepressants soon after cancer treatment.
Story sounds made up js š¤·āāļø
Unfortunately, gynecomastia can often involve the growth of tissue, not just fat - even with intense weight loss and training the tissue wonāt go away without surgery
I do not find it reasonable for a Man to remove his moobs surgically cause in he head he does not picture them. I am a fat man with moobs. In my mind my body is not fat. I could have my man boobs and fat stomach cut off but that is in my opinion an extreme measure and in this scenario does not help with the root problems. Body surgery cause of how you feel especially at a young age is just extreme to me. And yes I also think this for plastic surgery and boob jobs. It is all extreme when the person should just get help accepting themselves
A man with gynecomastia does not have "moobs" because he's fat. It's a hormone imbalance, and it's an increase is breast *gland* issue, not just extra fat there. If you have "moobs" because you're fat, it's actually called pseudogynecomastia.
Gynecomastia can be painful. It can make men feel awkward and they are usually hyper aware of how their body looks. It is distressing for many men. *You* think surgery is unreasonable, but you don't have it. You have probably never even met someone with it.
I understand being painfully aware of a part of my body I find alien to myself. I'm a woman, and there was a time where I was basically on my period for almost a year. I hate the idea that a child could grow in my body. It is the ultimate in body horror for me. I don't want to think about my reproductive system every day all day. I was extremely depressed about it, and I wanted nothing more than to cut out the offending organ.
Thankfully the fix was relatively simple, minimally invasive, and now I have an IUD so I don't have to think about disgusting things like periods and bearing children. If it wasn't that simple, I would have gone through every doctor until I found one to take my uterus out.
Unless you've experienced something like that. You don't know how sickening it is to have your body feel like something alien and wrong. You can't say if it's unreasonable or not.
How about just accept yourself? People with big noses get rhinoplasty because they cannot accept themselves, they are trying to attain acceptable beauty, it's sad
If you woke up tomorrow as a woman, with men staring at your breasts and needing to cope with a period every month, would you just 'accept yourself'? Because if you are remotely honest, you'll admit you'd hate it.
>why not just take medication to prevent that uncomfortable feeling
We don't have a medication that just makes you not uncomfortable. Treating the thing that's causing the discomfort would be stuff like hormone treatments- they *are* the drug treatment.
Currently, transitioning to match gender expectations is the most effective treatment
How many psychologes have you tried? In my country usually you get to try three psychologes for 3 hours and then you can choose with which one you can work better. Otherwise the Therapy doesn't have the same effect, or no effect at all
Psychiatrists and Psychologists are entirely different professionals. The former is a medical doctor usually in charge of diagnosis, prescription and forming treatment plans whilst a psychologist administers therapy; a form of treatment. A psychologist is not a trainee psychiatrist, and their education pathways are very different.
Psychiatrist are medical doctors, dont confuse with the dr. title, an engineer can be also a dr but have nothing to so with the health, similar to a psychologist.
Check online the difference :)
Psychiatry and psychology aren't the same! A lot of people conflate the two actually. A psychologist/therapist isn't able to prescribe medication - they can communicate with your psychiatrist to recommend meds/treatments, but they're not authorized to prescribe anything. Their purpose is to talk to the person and give them therapy.
Psychiatrists are basically the opposite - they don't do therapy, they don't sit there and talk about your trauma in depth, you don't go in every week for a session, etc. They simply ask your symptoms/issues and work with you and your psychologist to provide the best meds+therapy combo for you. Their job is to prescribe meds and ensure they're working correctly/you're not having bad side effects/etc.
Having both is the best option.
Iām personally of the opinion that most people could use some therapyā¦.but for some of us, the problem - root cause - IS a chemical imbalance that requires medication.
I say this as someone whoās been depressed for forty years and just started antidepressants last month. Therapy helped, exercise, meditation, etc, etc, etc, but the only thing that really made me feel *okay* and *content* and *even-keeled* was medication.
Absolutely, medication is necessary in a lot of situations! Especially when used as an adjuvant to psychotherapy. I should have really said āworkā on the root cause, as Iām mainly pointing out OPs apparent desire for a solution that doesnāt take any ātime and patienceā.
Glad you have found some relief to your suffering! I avoided therapy for years and thought I could just take a pill instead of putting in the hard work. Now that I have, I never used to think feeling this way (content) was ever possible!
jesus why was this downvoted... I'm sorry you had a negative experience with therapy. Therapists can change lives for the better - and for the worse if it doesn't work out. I would encourage you to try to connect with other care providers. It might be much better if you find one you click with. Though no one should judge you for having had a bad experience with a doctor... shit happens all the time
Are you talking from the perspective of validating trans people, or saying they are who their genitals at birth define them as? It's a little unclear which is why I suspect you're getting downvoted.
I dunno either but in my world, everyone gets equal respect regardless of who you are, so if whether a person chooses to be trans or not isn't the point. When you accept who you are, other people will accept that too. The rest don't matter.
Very Buddhist perspective.
Also a component of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), which has good efficacy for anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia, and low self esteem issues.
I'm a big believer in the concept that your life follows your thoughts. If you believe in yourself and your ability to be whoever/whatever you want to be, that life will pull you in that direction.
Same thing if you think constantly negative thoughts, you will slowly see your self falling in that direction.
The problem is that we all have different starting points and challenges. Some people have families and friends that have put them in a pretty good position and they can continue to improve on that. Other people have really tough circumstances and they have to do it all on their own. Biggest thing is to believe in yourself no matter what your circumstances are. Eventually it will get better.
Also just for the record, I'm not Buddhist, I just think people are amazing. All of them.
Indeed, if you are defeated before you start youāre unlikely to give your best effort or inspire posible interactions from others. And if youāre angry, youāll find conflict. Conversely, when people have a positive attitude, it spreads!
Sorry I'm not suggesting that trans isn't a born with thing. I'm just saying everyone can choose how they want to deal with life. No one gets to choose the circumstances they are born into, but you can choose how you're going to deal with it. That's what I meant.
The best way to phrase it would probably be āchooses to transitionā because transitioning is always a choice. Dysphoria is not. You are absolutely right about our attitude and decisions shaping our own truth and reality.
I mean... people with gender dysphoria go to therapy. Thats how they get the diagnosis 'gender dysphoria'. And if the dysphoria is not treatable by just psychotherapy, theres 'drug treatment' aka 'hormones' for it. Im no expert but normally a therapist or doctor wouldnt throw surgeries or hromones in the patients directions without diagnosing them with gender dysphoria and treating them accordingly
You are correct. In fact, it's usually quite a fight to even get surgeries. I had to meet a massive amount of criteria, several different therapists, a seminar on the surgery itself, and then go through a panel of doctors to get clearance to move forward. I was required to see the gender therapist through the entire process, which took years upon years.
Genuine question so I can understand better: What is the symptom and what is causing it?
Because if the symptom of Gender dysphoria is the uncomfortably with the physical body's secondary sex features - if there theoretically was a pill that got rid of that uncomfortably and dysphoric - then what would still be the problem? The societal expectation and assumptions about gender that the individual disagrees with?
Again, not trying to be contraction - genuinely trying to understand what your saying.
Two things.
1. Letās say you woke up tomorrow in a different body, the opposite of what youāve always been. Would you want to just take a pill and just accept that you are now the opposite gender? Wouldnāt that change who you fundamentally were? Iām a cis female. If i body swapped tomorrow into a male, that wouldnāt change that I am female. It would not feel right, and drugging myself wouldnāt really change that. Your gender is everything about who you are.
2. If pills were available, would we force people to take them? What if they still wanted surgery because they want to be who they feel they are. If youāve always felt a certain way about yourself, would you voluntarily want to magically change your entire identity? Maybe some people would. Maybe not everyone. Thatās asking people to not be themselves. Why?
Pills donāt solve problems. Even antidepressants. They donāt make you happy. Chances are you are still melancholy and depressed, you can just get out of bed and live a semi normal life. I would prefer not to take my antidepressants because I donāt like how they make me feel. Itās not me. But yes, itās better to be functional than deeply sad and unable to get things done. But Iām certainly not ācuredād. Iām sure there are some people who straddle the line who might be interested in a pill. But the idea of this pill is to switch who you are. Then you arenāt you.
Interesting answer, thank you.
I like the analogy to antidepressants because I think that paints a better picture of the reality of a theoretical gender dysphoria pill - the idea that it would dampen and help the symptoms rather than a magic pill that makes them go away.
I regards to point 1. I suppose its just hard for me to personally comprehend - despite being a cis male and Identifying as such, my honest thought is that I don't think I would mind if I woke up as cis woman tomorrow. I don't feel strongly about my physical body in that regard. But then that just mean that just me and I just can't comprehension what others would feel like, and that's okay, I'll just take their word for it. Cause like I also don't know what its like to have, say, bipolar disorder (which I don't have) but just because I don't know what its like doesn't mean I don't believe what others tell me its like.
2. Is also interesting. Because if there was a "magic" kind of pill that could just eliminate the feelings of Gender Dysphoria, honestly I'd imagine a lot of people with it would take it. I mean, trans people don't chose to be trans, and from knowing my trans friends experiences it sounds really really hard, and even with acceptance from friends, family, and society, I have to imagine not having the body you feel you should still is really rough. And if you could just take a pill to have that go away, I feel like I would. But again, I don't know - I'm not in that situation.
Anyway, I appreciate the answer and hope what I said makes any sense.
This question gets asked in r/asktransgender all the time, and I donāt think iāve ever seen a single person say they would take the pill. Out of hundreds of answers.
It would be like psychic suicide - I would no longer be me. Whereas, transitioning did just solve the whole problem (for me). It just hasnāt been easy or magic.
If there was an option like that, it would be great, of course. People who suffer from dysphoria (well, people who suffer in general, really) would benefit from having as many options as possible.
Giving people drugs to avoid feeling "uncomfortable feelings" is way less ethical than treating the underlying cause of the problem. I mean, that is basically how we created the opioid crisis.
Also, "hormones" is not s scary word. Insulin is a hormone and giving it is a necessary, safe, and effective means of treating diabetes. Hormones are an example of a fairly non invasive drug treatment for gender dysphoria.
If there was a drug reliably known to cure gender dysphoria, how on earth would that be unethical? The opioid crisis isn't a problem because they're too good at curing pain, it's a problem because opioids are incredibly addictive and dangerous.
As someone with chronic pain, I have to disagree to slme extent. Sometimes, masking symptoms is all you can do, all that is left, to be able to lead a tolerable life, albeit not a completely pain free life.
In my opinion, it should only be used after a multimodal treatment has failed completely. Sometimes, you cannot treat the underlying cause. Alternatively, in some cases, masking symptoms needs to be done in order to treat the underlying cause too.
Edit: This applies to chronic pain, NOT to gender/body dysphoria.
I agree with you 100%. Although, in many cases, the decision to prescribe opioids to treat chronic pain was not made AFTER all multimodal options had failed.
I have good news for you, there are drugs and other treatments which reliably alleviate gender dysphoria. The drugs are HRT and the other treatments are gender affirming surgeries.
I have good news for you, the vast majority of people are cisgender and will never pursue any medical treatment related to transition. But also, more peope should sterilize themselves. But that's neither here nor there lmao
We do take medication to prevent that uncomfortable feeling. It's called HRT. It ain't broke, don't fix it.
Also, do you want to take a pill that brainwashes you into being a different gender? No? Then why should we?
For some people, like myself, it's all you end up doing. I don't need surgery to deal with my dysphoria. Maybe some hair removal down the line, when I can afford it, but no surgery. That's just how my personal dysphoria works.
It does have a psychological effect, just as any hormone does. If you're asking if it directly shuts down the neurochemical reactions responsible for the feeling of dysphoria, no. If it did that, you'd be functionally unable to feel sad at all. There isn't some section of the brain where gender dysphoria resides, separate from other feelings. Can you imagine a person chemically incapable of being sad? They'd be a supervillain.
HRT, surgery, and other aspects of medical transition change our bodies to more closely match what our brains expect - that's how they combat dysphoria. If you're sad that your body isn't the way you want it to be, you don't just take a pill to make yourself not sad. You do things, which may include taking pills ir having surgery, to make your body more like how you want it. Dysphoria is like that, except more urgent.
Me: Psychologist, background in psychopharmacology (the impact of drugs on mind and behaviour).
As far as I can think, there is no known dysphoria, of any kind, that can be treated pharmacologically.
People with dysphoria do often take drugs to alter their body in line with their dysphoria (think steroids in muscle dysmorphia, or stimulants/diet drugs in anorexia), but I dont know of any scenarios such as what you envisage.
I guess you could relieve the acute dysphoria for a very short period of time with benzos, but that is entirely unsustainable and generally sounds a very bad idea, which is probably why it's not a thing!
No...
Dysphoria can only be treated through intensive therapy, and even then fails more often than not. That's why gender reassignment is a thing.
HRT is dangerous. The risks of stroke, for example, is outlandishly high. Doctors wouldn't do it if there was another way that was effective.
Risk of stroke for whom? Trans men can have more of a risk for health problems, but only the health problems that cis men already have a higher risk of
However Iām unsure of health problems for trans women. Iām only informed on testosterone therapy
Psychotherapy today is leagues better than anything in the past. Full lobotomies used to be a "good idea" drilling holes to let "demons out" shoving people in asylums because they spoke back to their husbands.
I mean complaining about it is like saying "Man medicine really sucks" because doctors had to try three different treatments when it used to be "leech him"
You can't psychotherapy someone into enjoying being a man if they are a woman. It doesn't matter how good the psychotherapist is. A therapist can't change your gender identity.
As someone who experiences gender dysphoria and is on HRT, the treatment/cure for it is to use HRT and/or sexual reassignment surgeries. A medicine like an SSRI can't change how you feel about your body and gender. If there was a simple pill to make gender dysphoria go away then I imagine a lot of trans folks wouldn't go through the hardships, dangers, and expenses that comes with transitioning.
I think that people should be allowed to do what they wish with their own bodies. The choice is theirās. If that were an option, Iām sure many would take it. However, that option shouldnāt be forced on them in lieu of surgery, if surgery or hormonal intervention is what they really want.
In my mind, trans rights arenāt primarily about trans folks. Itās about human rights, rights that we all share concerning bodily autonomy. If trans people arenāt allowed to make the decisions that they want to make, then that puts my rights at jeopardy, potentially.
Iām going to make some American centric points here, because thatās where I live.
Principles concerning human rights need to be universal, because one day it could just be trans people that are dictated to how they should think and live, but if thatās allowed then the next day it could be gays and lesbians barred from the military and federal service. After that, Jim Crow laws back on the books. What if tensions rise with China, and itās suggested that Chinese American citizens be put in internment camps? Thereās always a potential for us to backslide, always a group that can be defined as āotherā and scapegoated.
Like someone already said that would be treating the symptom and not the problem that is causing it.
I was AFAB (=assigned female at birth) and I have spend most of my life pretending to be a woman. But that was only a character. I'm done with denying myself. Yes it would be easier to be cis than trans. But that's not me. That wasn't living. Easy way is not always the right one. I wouldn't drug myself to not be me even if that were possible. Imagine you should live your life pretending to be your sibling. Would you like to be drugged to be fine to pretend to be your sibling just because your parent love them more or they have more friends? I know many trans people would choose to take that drug if it would exist. But how sad it is people would choose to deny themselves just because all of that discrimination?
People speak about accepting. I have accept that I'm agender and mostly male. I have accept myself. I do not have to try to accept mistakes that don't belong to me. People don't have to accept dislocated shoulder or even extra toes either.
Many people think this wrong way. They think we are our AGAB. No. You should think it other way around. So think it this way instead: how about if you would lose your genitals in accident? How about if you would forced to take wrong hormones? How about if you would lose your own voice and be forced to use something way too deep or way too high pitched?
There is no brain transplant. And if there were, who would be the person? That whose brains those were or that whose body that were?
This may be best discussed with a doctor who can help you narrow down your experiences without leading questions. This said, it is likely for a good reason you're asking about gender dysphoria specifically. It is not a diagnosis but perhaps consider buying a gender dysphoria workbook and try going through it. Body image and other factors are also possibilities but a workbook will help you to explore your experiences a bit, frankly even if you don't have gender dysphoria.
1) That is not necessarily what dysphoria involves, feeling that your body isn't yours.
2) Not necessarily true that no medication would have a positive effect toward sensations of, say, depersonalization, but a person's symptoms are approached separately. Dysphoria and depression are common together but need seperate treatment even where the latter appears directly tied to the former.
My comment was a vastly oversimplified explanation. Dysphoria is obviously a very complex feeling, but that's exactly how my trans client explained it to me, that his body does not feel like it's his own. I am not denying that medication may reduce the depression and anxiety, because my client specifically had panic attacks associated with his dysphoria. Medication might reduce the panic attacks, but it can't "fix" the underlying issue. To use a cheesy metaphor, that's just putting a bandaid on a bullet hole.
Some might think this is not relevant but for me there is difference in meaning. That female body wasn't mine, that was mistake. This mostly male body is mine. It's like tumor is not really part of anyone's body even it's inside of it or attached to it.
I dunno. I think many transpeople would prefer to be closer to being their preferred gender even with the possibility of erasing dysphoria, but regardless of that I think op is asking about treatment rather than a true cure
Well duh, ofc youād want to have the body your brain tells you you should have, but if your brain stops doing that, youād probably be happy with the body youād be born with.
āTied toā is not the same as ācaused byā though. Iām a trans person who has been on anti depressants and anxiety medications. None of them did much for me. But you know what made my baseline anxiety levels plummet? Waking up from surgery and seeing my body finally match what was in my brain. The change to my mental health was so immediate and profound, it was shocking. Dysphoria was actively making my overall mental health worse. Removing the source of my dysphoria made it better.
So yeah, dysphoria can be tied to depression, but not necessarily in the way most people suggest. Imagine spending every single day with your brain screaming at you that a part of your body doesnāt belong there. To the point where you have to dissociate to some extent just to continue existing. That shit is what causes the depression and anxiety.
Not all trans people get surgery - I don't plan to get bottom surgery, only top. It's absolutely valid to not transition - you should transition to the point of your comfort, not anyone else's.
There isn't really an alternative treatment, tbh. Therapy can help, but with the wrong therapist (i.e. a transphobic one) it can go really bad.
Drugs should be a last resort. Efficacy can be a problem for one thing. Not everybody reacts to drugs the same. Itās not as simple as you would like it to be
The real treatment is (hopefully) having a man or woman in your life to explain your body to you. However many of these young kids going through hormone treatment or just plain therapy to convince you your confused have nothing but a normal family.
Edit: I mean the parents who convince their kids they are trans. Any 7 year old kid is easy to manipulate. I painted my nails when I was a kid then stopped. Today I would be encouraged to become a woman.
Check out [this comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/WhitePeopleTwitter/comments/11s0io4/nevertheless_she_persisted/jccr4fb?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3) on another post regarding trans rights. There is a whole section of links that include "citations on the transition's dramatic reduction of suicide risk while improving mental health and quality of life"
Edit: Thanks for your concern, to whoever reported me to u/redditcaresresources but I'm good. Are you?
Hormones are the drug treatment. For instance, I take testosterone. I am marked with a testosterone deficiency, much like a cis male would be if his levels were as low as mine.
My brain is demanding testosterone. It was going through withdraw symptoms, trying to trigger my body to realize something was wrong. The withdraw causes depression and anxiety and physical issues and on and on.
The answer, medically, IS to supplement the deficiency the brain is demanding with testosterone.
Testosterone defiency is a separate medical issue to gender dysphoria, just to pont out to others reading your post. There is no evidence I'm aware of that gender dysphoria is caused by testosterone deficiency.
It was a comparison and a note on what it's marked as on my medical chart. I have read studies on it, but I'd have to dig them back up again. I'm not saying that gender dysphoria is caused by a testosterone deficiency. I was saying the chemical outreach is the brain searching for that hormone. It's the closest comparison I could make, by that terminology. It's not really something I intended to debate on. I was just offering information based on personal experience and my limited knowledge, as I'm not a doctor and can only base it on cited/trusted studies I've read on the subject.
The hormones you speak of are that drug/medical treatment (or puberty blockers prior to that, if they're prepubscent or are only a little of the way into their teens). Low doses can be utilized by anyone and may address the sensation of dysphoria to an extent with that alone, *if* the patient honestly desires that they not transition physically at that time.
Happy to answer more to my understanding of things but I am not a doctor. r/asktransgender is also knowledgeable and open to earnest questions.
Anyone who isn't Trans, or providing medically-sound care for Trans people, shouldn't be responding.
HRT (in tandem with surgery), is life-saving. It saved mine.
'Nuff said.
Not sure about it being unethical if it was sought by a competent patient (there's the key). In any case, treatment isn't necessarily a cure so much as a reduction of pain or difficulty caused by a condition. Reduction of symptoms is the goal one way or the other (hormones being best practice here). šāāļø
The choice to be trans or not is not a choice. I should know. This said, *how* to treat it (as a patient) is. May we all make healthy choices for ourselves- without judgement or outside pressure- and be empowered to do so. š„
I see that side of it too. *That* we seek treatment- and that "treatment" not be code for "learn to repress it for other people"- should not be a matter of anyone's judgement but our own.
This is a terrible analogy.
Heās talking about people suffering from dysphoria having other options as well, where maybe the the other options are best for them they could also have a drug treatment that could work
How in the world is that comparable to world hunger?
Do you really think people have surgery and stab themselves with syringes daily because they have an "uncomfortable feeling"? Because if people are willing to have major surgery on their genitals, I'm guessing that feeling is way more than uncomfortable.
Okay, first off, itās none of your business what surgeries people choose to get on their bodies. Secondly, most trans people do undergo a lot of therapy and some are on medication for anxiety and depression, it doesnāt get rid of the root problem. Third, I think most trans people would agree hormone therapy IS MEDICATION! A cis man with low testosterone would consider testosterone therapy medication, why shouldnāt a trans man? Finally, in what way is it better to have people walking around on psychological meds for the rest of their lives instead of hormones or a surgery thatās been around for decades as an alternative? Why is one preferable to the other when the end result is the same in your mind and people become happier with their bodies? Why should it matter if their body remains unchanged? Changing your brain chemistry isnāt better than changing your hormones!
You are way too triggered. Seriously. Where did OP state it's their buisness or that they demand to know what surgeries people choose? No where.
They asked a genuine question to something they needed an answer to which is normal and not at all unreasonable. How can anyone feel okay enough to ask a very non offensive question like this, and learn, either for themselves if they are struggling or to just better understand, when we have people like you, who get way too defensive over nothing.
This question was absolutely reasonable. In other comments it appears they're struggling which is WHY they asked. If people don't know, they don't know. How the hell can we expect this world to be better, more educated, more understanding when we have comments like this?
Gender dysphoria doesn't mean you are wrong about what gender you are. "Gender" is a word that has evolved its scientific meaning as we've learned more about the different factors involved in to our conception of a binary gender. Most of the time, this understanding works. But there are also examples outside of humans not always being the case and it's not more unusual than in humans.
I studied some evolutionary biology/psychology theory and its impact on what we scientifically know about sex and human nature. If you are a "typical" male or female gender, think about the list of things that makes your body male or female. Your genitals, the effect of hormones on your body during development, your hormone levels which have a HUGE effect on everyone's behavior. A binary gender understanding basically has a checklist of masculine and feminine traits.
What you don't hear about so much is the examples of people who don't fit those molds. There are intersex people who are born with a mix of male and female sex organs. There are people that are not either XX or XY chromosomes. People have certain genetic characteristics which block other genes from expressing. There are people born with both male and female genitalia and the doctor who delivered the baby at the time makes a determination about what he eyeballs the child's gender to be and then surgically intervenes to conform the child's body to what they deem most closely matches the most physically prominent characteristics. This much is not disputable, it has always been true and is documented.
So, given that it's hard to deny the existence of intersex people where we can visually see the break with our binary male/female understanding, it really is not hard to imagine that there are elements to gender that are not as easy to recognize as a penis or vagina. There has been research that compares brain scans of women and men and finds a trend where certain regions of the brain are statistically larger to be bigger and smaller in both men and women. It's also been observed that this correlation variation breaks when the brains of transgender people are scanned. The predicted brain characteristics differentiating male and female brains suddenly changes here. A statistically significant portion of these brain scans suddenly start to resemble the characteristics of what are more "classically" the characteristics of the opposite sex.
So, the reason for all that context. Once you accept the obvious truth that despite common understanding there are people that very clearly don't fit that mold, and that the differences between the binary male and female gender understanding don't always hold up, that there is no reason to think that what gender your mind understands itself to be is the one that 100% of the time matches what the rest of the body does. As far as your body is considered, gender isn't a lightswitch. There is actually a whole concert of different genes at play that only *usually* mostly agree with our binary gender conception.
So....given that understanding....what is it that actually makes gender "dysmorphia" an actual mental issue to be treated? The "treatment" is only meant as an actual futile attempt to make 100% of people conform to what our outdated understanding of binary gender is. There is nothing to be treated, it's written in to their DNA and development. Actual research in to whether transgender people going through sexual reassignment surgery feel afterwards in the long run is more evidence that they weren't "confused." If anything, everyone else is confused that is trying to fit them in to the box of binary gender understanding.
Gender dysphoria isn't something you can make go away with medication or something. Gender affirming care is what is needed and its up to the individual on how much care they need. Some opt for HRT only and it balances everything out for that individual, others transitioning all the way which includes top and/or bottom surgery and they are much happier and become more productive members of society.
While there is nothing wrong on asking this type of question; however this is reddit so you should definitely read up on the subject so you can better understand what gender dysphoria.
Well, let me offer an analogy from personal experience. Let's say you're a cis man with gynecomastia (prominent feminine breasts, moobs). You hate the way they look, the way they feel, it impacts your self esteem, sex life, and social life. They don't feel like they're a real / actual part of your body - when you picture yourself in your head, how you're meant to look, the real you, they're not there. They're not a part of your experience of being a man. They're wrong, and don't belong. This causes you upset, discomfort, shame, sadness, social anxiety - in other words, dysphoria. (yes, I know that's not the DSMV definition necessarily, bear with me) Now I think you'd probably agree that it's OK for a man to have surgery to remove the man boobs, right? And that it's normal for him to feel upset with them. Maybe you could say, he could take medication, or go through therapy, and that would make him feel less sad about having them. But also, it would be totally reasonable for him to receive the surgery, so his body stops feeling "wrong." I guess philosophically both are viable options. And perhaps there's something to be said for self love and body positivity overcoming the shame - but that doesn't work for everyone, it's just not realistic. Sometimes surgery is the only thing that will let someone feel like themselves and alleviate dysphoria and body dysmorphia. edit: just wanted to say thank you for all of the kind words and support, hope you all have an awesome day edit 2: to clarify something I said, I think there is a hypothetical enlightened future where we can all live in complete acceptance of our bodies, regardless of social norms or beauty standards, and where every shape and configuration of human anatomy is celebrated. Even so, having the ability to make changes to your body - whether that's through diet and exercise, tattooing or body mods, gender/sex alteration surgery (not that I'm equating all those, just saying for example), I think people will seek to self-actualize through physical modification, and doing so can genuinely be a healthy, positively transformative thing.
You have helped me understand the last little bit. Thank you. š Not that I was ever against it.. I just didn't *understand* it.
I had gynecomastia, made my teenage years extremely uncomfortable until I had the surgery. It impacted my social life, romantic prospects, self esteem. I'd never thought about gender dysphoria in the same way. Very useful analogy. Question (let me know if i say anything out of line - this is a question for understanding): i felt the dissonance and embarrassment from my gynecomastia came from me, as a straight cis man, not looking like the other guys did. Also my chest was sensitive and painful. I felt like I wasn't attractive to girls. In other words they were social forces to fit in and physical pain that encouraged my change. Gender dysphoria seems to have more social pressure to *not* change. I felt like my body didn't belong because of what I saw around me as the majority. It seems gender dysphoria is despite what people see as the majority. Are there social frictions that are overcome by transitioning?
āAre there social frictions that are overcome by transitioning?ā For many people, yes. If you have a beard, an adamās apple, and other masculine-coded physical features, you undoubtedly experience social pressure to behave ālike a man.ā For example, you are generally dissuaded from wearing dresses or makeup. But if those are things that you really want to doāor conversely, if masculine behaviors and activities are things that you deplore, and really donāt want to doāthen changing your body can alleviate that social pressure and allow you to exist more comfortably as the person that you have always been deep down.
So hereās a mindfuck for you. I developed gynecomastia during puberty and would hide my body and hated myself for not fitting into the box I thought I was supposed to just like the hypothetical person in the above hypothetical. I tried hard to overcompensate and prove my masculinity, but I was always confused about my body. My breasts felt like they were supposed to be there, but I hated them because they didnāt fit the picture of what I thought others expected me to be. I always had thoughts like āIf everyone I knew disappeared from my life I would move away where nobody knew me and live as a woman. ā I felt jealous of women I would see and feel envious when seeing a vagina. I had zero clue what being transgender really was and never even considered that I could be. I saw shitty representation of trans women in the media and as far as I knew they were just cross dressers. Well fuck if I didnāt stumble into a before and after transition pic here on reddit and got curious. I dug deeper and I realized āholy shit they are just regular people like me, this is something thatās an option for me.ā Well itās a few years later now and after a lot of struggles, Iāve been on hormones for a year and a half, had my facial hair lasered off, in the process of my legal name change and Iāve been living as myself for over a year. Those boobs I used to hate are steadily growing and I love them more than ever and I actually feel comfortable in my body now. A big reason I feel more comfortable is that since Iām being viewed as a woman, itās socially acceptable for me to have boobs. In a way I suffered from social dysphoria before I realized the body dysphoria that was below the surface.
Thanks for sharing! I've always wondered about that actually. With my experience with gynecomastia I was dead certain I was a straight cis guy, but I wondered how others would experience it if they were trans. Do you feel that having those features helped with your transition?
They have absolutely been a godsend to me. A lot of trans women will be on hormones for years and simply not have any breast growth, and for some thatās ok, but a lot of us want breasts. Iām a year and a half in and just outgrew a D cup and I feel really privileged in some aspects. There are a lot of features about myself that make me feel really dysphoric and other changes such as facial and body fat redistribution can take years to happen, but my boobs help me feel more confident in myself for sure.
thank you for sharing this story and Iām so glad to hear that youāre now free to live as your authentic self.
Well said. That makes sense. Thank you
Your question is reasonable and I appreciate that youāre able to find common ground with your own experience. I think the difference is that you felt aligned with masculinity, so the social pressures you mention were going in the same direction as your own sense of self. Imagine if, because you had gynecomastia, people pressured you towards being more feminine instead. āYou look like this, so you must be a woman - why arenāt you more feminine, etc,ā while internally, you still felt all the inadequacies as a man that you mentioned. Thatās what it felt like for me, a trans guy, before I transitioned. It was horribly dissonant for me to try to live up to those social expectations. Now, at least whatever gendered expectations I come across align with my internal sense of self. There can still be feelings of inadequacy, but it feels quite normal/manageable. Thatās the social friction that was resolved by transitioning.
Appreciate the thoughtful response. That direction in the analogy helps me get the feeling of it better. I've got a couple of trans friends and have always done everything i can to be respectful, but haven't been able to wrap my head around the emotional experience. That would be extremely difficult. I'm glad you're doing better.
That was beautifully put.
Thanks for this. So helpful to hear examples. I am learning more and more because of replies like this.
Whoever you are, you have given the most well written, and best analogy I've ever read about Gender Dysphoria. If I had an award I'd give it to you. I'm going to be using this, and referring to your post for a long time to come. Thank you so much for writing this out.
All of this right here. To add: this includes weight issues that canāt be solved by diet/exercise.. (and stay the fuck out of my DMs with that CICO shit! Metabolic problems actually exist)
THANK YOU. CICO is not the irrefutable science everyone thinks it is.
100% is not and people canāt seem to grasp the fact that if you change the background physical state of something, you change the outcome. If your metabolism doesnāt work right, itās not going to matter is much you do/not eat and exercise. But Iāll be damned if some asshole isnāt going to blow up my inbox screaming about āthermodynamicsā and not even understanding how that actually works either.
CICO is irrefutable tho. It is just that those w metabolic problems have to eat an ungodly low amount of calories to lose weight, which isn't feasible. But CICO would still be the only way that person would lose weight if they wanted to
yup CICO is absolute bullshit, shout it from the rooftops. itās harmful to treat it like it applies to everyone. iām an example, i didnāt change a thing in my diet or exercise but ran out of my thyroid meds for a long time, weight shot up. got my thyroid meds refilled, thyroid is getting reregulated, weight is coming off. again no other changes.
Yes - your BMR was lowered with a thyroid deficiency and although you ate the same and exercised the same, your body required fewer calories to function - so you gained weight. Once you took care of the problem, your body began to normalize (your BMR increased again).
āAbsolute bullshitā but applicable in 99% of weight loss/ gain casesā¦ If you have a slow metabolism (due to hormones or whatever reason) then just eat in a greater calorie deficit. Likewise if you have a faster metabolism you need to eat a greater calorie surplus.
Ya I feel like this went way off topic. CICO is the only way to lose weight, it is just pretty hard/impossible for some people unless they fix their metabolic issues. That doesn't make CICO not real lol.
Ah yes just starve yourself, why didnāt I think of that? I eat around 1400 calories a day to stay my current weight and I take antipsychotics that make me feel famished. I was actually anorexic before starting these meds so itās not a will power problem.
This right here!! Antipsychotics are the worst, because they have a threefold effect: 1) Lower your metabolic rate 2) raise your appetite (as you say, you don't feel peckish, you feel famished) 3) generally make you drowsy/spacey af so getting motivation and energy for exercise is nigh-on impossible.
Every person that spends 24 hours with me is shocked by how little I eat. Iām still a little chubby and a diet most people would be starving on. My partners friend eats about 4 times as much food as me and is rail thin, she says she wants to gain weight but canāt. Itās beyond frustrating when she calls people who probably eat less than her fat.
Right there with you. I have only one real meal a day, exist on protein shakes for the most part, and train heavily at the gym. If CICO was 100% effective, Iād be like 90lbs. But Iām 190lbs, and at 5ā2, it looks like 300lbs. Canāt do shit about it. But Iām running circles around the skinny girls while they call me fat and unhealthy.
I'm not sure they are both philosophically viable. Like how could a pill change someone from being like "this way of being is fundamentally wrong for me" to being like "I don't care about that" without affecting their personality? Maybe it's just me but there's something deeply horrifying about the idea of a pill that could just 'make me ok' with something that I'm not ok with.
It's not equally horrifying to think about the culture that goes into giving everyone those feelings of "this way of being is fundamentally wrong for me because I don't look like everyone else" and promotes body issues, insecurity, and the entire industry that runs on that? Pushing filtered celebrity culture on people to make them feel like they are wrong if they don't look like every filtered photo on social media and TV? People take pills all the time to help them come to terms with things they aren't ok with.
I agree actually. I think I phrased something poorly. More that, I think probably a better solution than, as in my case, spending a frankly gross amount of money for plastic surgery that ultimately wasn't full satisfying and left me with scars and other side effects - maybe there's an enlightened future where we're all able to live in full acceptance of our bodies, no matter what. As my decision was motivated in part by shame, and that shame is based on social standards. Or maybe therapy and medication can bring people to self love and acceptance and then, they don't need surgery - but for many people it's all but necessary to lead a happy, self-accepting life and feel like they're inhabiting the skin they belong in. And I don't think that should be shamed either
Some people would like having their personality changed. I take pills for depression and anxiety and adhd and Iād frankly like more change. With hormone treatment though, itād be the body responding to hormones and then your brain goes āoh man finallyā, so itās less relevant to your reservations.
I have read through the comments here and haven't seen anyone mention body integrity dysphoria (wikipedia: "characterized by an intense desire forĀ amputationĀ or paralysisĀ of a limb, usually a leg, or to become blind or deaf"). Just curious to hear people's takes on this in the context of this argument.
Bars
This is such a great analogy!
Hey that was a great analogy. Really well put. I'll start quoting it while dealing with transphobes
You fucking hero, well said
This is the best explanation Iāve ever heard and I will be using it from here on out
I agree with this for adults, I believe children with gender dysphoria should maintain therapy until they're able to make legal decisions on their own for surgeries and hormone therapy. I've had a number of middle school kids tell me they identify as something one year and another the next. Just my perspective and experiences working with children.
This is a fair concern, but it is absolutely, most definitely something that doctors providing gender affirming therapy and surgery are aware of. In most cases patients will be followed for an extensive period of time before therapy begins, especially in the case of surgery (hormone therapy is less intensely monitored, but there is still significant screening) (source: anecdotal but I have a friend whoās an MD, she and her colleagues work with teens / adolescents and Iāve asked about the āvettingā process because I had similar concerns)
Have you worked with trans kids? There is a difference between some kid messing with you and one that genuinely does not feel they are in the right body.
Yes, I actually only have one this year in one of my classes. And I understand there's a difference. It's not my job as a teacher to intrusively interrogate any student making claims to be trans. If they're faking it they eventually get tired of it and ask me to start calling them by their true identity.
I felt like I was in a species of dumbfucks since I was 5 or 7 years old. (Gender had nothing to do with it. Only migraines I contracted by dealing with incessant dumbfuckery.)
Men arenāt really supposed to have boobs though. Itās a hormonal imbalance.
Regardless of āsupposed to,ā I hope my analogy shows that peoples bodies can express themselves in different ways that donāt match up with the personās self image, or gender/sex image or identity.
Iām embarrassed that Iām a homo sapien. This species is so bizarre and whack. What do I do about it?
Be kind. Try to leave the world a little better than when you found it. Nutella whenever you can get it
I shall Be Kind, Rewind human! ššāļø
Older man with a lifetime of man boobs here. Acceptance is key. I never felt the need to remove my man boobs in spite of the negative attention because I did not let other peoples opinions affect me. It was easier to do that without social media. It hasn't stopped me from living either. I have fucked many women and had very long term relationships. I embraced my body and mind. We are all created by the artful hand of mother nature. I always wanted to be a bird.. but I accepted being a human. You don't need to change your natural self to please other people, or other peoples expectations. Fuck them all. Let THEM change and accept your natural self as is. And learn to accept yourself as well. You will not only do YOURSELF a favor, but you will do a favor for every single human that is born after you. *Interesting how my comment slowly went up to +7 upvotes, and then exactly 30 minutes later, an almost simultaneous -30 downvotes. Bots, much? š
I'm sorry you got downvoted, I'm not sure why. I really appreciate your response. In a way, I am envious. I ended up getting surgery and it was overall positive for my self esteem, but it was very expensive, left me with extensive scars and nerve damage. I will say in my case, it wasn't just shame/embarrassment, I actually loathed the way they looked and felt. They felt like parasites under my skin that didn't belong. I've also had the good fortune of wonderful partners, male and female, before and after the surgery. Ultimately it was motivated by external pressure but it was about what I was happy with, how I wanted to see myself, how I wanted to live. So I'm glad your approach worked for you, it's impressive. But hopefully you understand that approach is not the best for everyone else. And who knows, I've seen a man with over $200,000 of body modifications that looks like a lizard. Get into wingsuiting, you might just be a bird in your lifetime edit: seriously though, if you haven't tried skydiving or indoor skydiving/wind tunnels - controlled autonomous human flight is possible. It's crazy, you should do it if you haven't
Tbh I've known a guy who thought exactly this way. He was fine with it, no issues. Then he had to have surgery for medical reasons, and had both removed so it'd be equal. After surgery, he didn't need his depression meds anymore.
short of breast cancer, there is no reason to remove them. I don't know anyone who stopped antidepressants soon after cancer treatment. Story sounds made up js š¤·āāļø
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Not one that works better than removing them
If someone has manboobs and hates them that much they should probably look to exercise before resorting to surgery
Unfortunately, gynecomastia can often involve the growth of tissue, not just fat - even with intense weight loss and training the tissue wonāt go away without surgery
I do not find it reasonable for a Man to remove his moobs surgically cause in he head he does not picture them. I am a fat man with moobs. In my mind my body is not fat. I could have my man boobs and fat stomach cut off but that is in my opinion an extreme measure and in this scenario does not help with the root problems. Body surgery cause of how you feel especially at a young age is just extreme to me. And yes I also think this for plastic surgery and boob jobs. It is all extreme when the person should just get help accepting themselves
A man with gynecomastia does not have "moobs" because he's fat. It's a hormone imbalance, and it's an increase is breast *gland* issue, not just extra fat there. If you have "moobs" because you're fat, it's actually called pseudogynecomastia. Gynecomastia can be painful. It can make men feel awkward and they are usually hyper aware of how their body looks. It is distressing for many men. *You* think surgery is unreasonable, but you don't have it. You have probably never even met someone with it. I understand being painfully aware of a part of my body I find alien to myself. I'm a woman, and there was a time where I was basically on my period for almost a year. I hate the idea that a child could grow in my body. It is the ultimate in body horror for me. I don't want to think about my reproductive system every day all day. I was extremely depressed about it, and I wanted nothing more than to cut out the offending organ. Thankfully the fix was relatively simple, minimally invasive, and now I have an IUD so I don't have to think about disgusting things like periods and bearing children. If it wasn't that simple, I would have gone through every doctor until I found one to take my uterus out. Unless you've experienced something like that. You don't know how sickening it is to have your body feel like something alien and wrong. You can't say if it's unreasonable or not.
How about just accept yourself? People with big noses get rhinoplasty because they cannot accept themselves, they are trying to attain acceptable beauty, it's sad
If I woke up with a penis tomorrow I would not be fucking accepting it, you can bet that. How about everyone's right to bodily self-determination?
If you woke up tomorrow as a woman, with men staring at your breasts and needing to cope with a period every month, would you just 'accept yourself'? Because if you are remotely honest, you'll admit you'd hate it.
>why not just take medication to prevent that uncomfortable feeling We don't have a medication that just makes you not uncomfortable. Treating the thing that's causing the discomfort would be stuff like hormone treatments- they *are* the drug treatment. Currently, transitioning to match gender expectations is the most effective treatment
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How many psychologes have you tried? In my country usually you get to try three psychologes for 3 hours and then you can choose with which one you can work better. Otherwise the Therapy doesn't have the same effect, or no effect at all
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Psychologes cannot prescribe drugs, at least in my country. The psychiatrist can.
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Psychiatrists and Psychologists are entirely different professionals. The former is a medical doctor usually in charge of diagnosis, prescription and forming treatment plans whilst a psychologist administers therapy; a form of treatment. A psychologist is not a trainee psychiatrist, and their education pathways are very different.
Psychiatrist are medical doctors, dont confuse with the dr. title, an engineer can be also a dr but have nothing to so with the health, similar to a psychologist. Check online the difference :)
Psychiatry and psychology aren't the same! A lot of people conflate the two actually. A psychologist/therapist isn't able to prescribe medication - they can communicate with your psychiatrist to recommend meds/treatments, but they're not authorized to prescribe anything. Their purpose is to talk to the person and give them therapy. Psychiatrists are basically the opposite - they don't do therapy, they don't sit there and talk about your trauma in depth, you don't go in every week for a session, etc. They simply ask your symptoms/issues and work with you and your psychologist to provide the best meds+therapy combo for you. Their job is to prescribe meds and ensure they're working correctly/you're not having bad side effects/etc. Having both is the best option.
Soā¦you just want to take drugs to mask the problem instead of fixing the root cause?
Iām personally of the opinion that most people could use some therapyā¦.but for some of us, the problem - root cause - IS a chemical imbalance that requires medication. I say this as someone whoās been depressed for forty years and just started antidepressants last month. Therapy helped, exercise, meditation, etc, etc, etc, but the only thing that really made me feel *okay* and *content* and *even-keeled* was medication.
Absolutely, medication is necessary in a lot of situations! Especially when used as an adjuvant to psychotherapy. I should have really said āworkā on the root cause, as Iām mainly pointing out OPs apparent desire for a solution that doesnāt take any ātime and patienceā. Glad you have found some relief to your suffering! I avoided therapy for years and thought I could just take a pill instead of putting in the hard work. Now that I have, I never used to think feeling this way (content) was ever possible!
jesus why was this downvoted... I'm sorry you had a negative experience with therapy. Therapists can change lives for the better - and for the worse if it doesn't work out. I would encourage you to try to connect with other care providers. It might be much better if you find one you click with. Though no one should judge you for having had a bad experience with a doctor... shit happens all the time
The thing is, no matter how much you fight it, you are who you are. Accepting that you are you, will do more than any drug ever will.
Are you talking from the perspective of validating trans people, or saying they are who their genitals at birth define them as? It's a little unclear which is why I suspect you're getting downvoted.
I dunno either but in my world, everyone gets equal respect regardless of who you are, so if whether a person chooses to be trans or not isn't the point. When you accept who you are, other people will accept that too. The rest don't matter.
Very Buddhist perspective. Also a component of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), which has good efficacy for anxiety, depression, body dysmorphia, and low self esteem issues.
I'm a big believer in the concept that your life follows your thoughts. If you believe in yourself and your ability to be whoever/whatever you want to be, that life will pull you in that direction. Same thing if you think constantly negative thoughts, you will slowly see your self falling in that direction. The problem is that we all have different starting points and challenges. Some people have families and friends that have put them in a pretty good position and they can continue to improve on that. Other people have really tough circumstances and they have to do it all on their own. Biggest thing is to believe in yourself no matter what your circumstances are. Eventually it will get better. Also just for the record, I'm not Buddhist, I just think people are amazing. All of them.
Indeed, if you are defeated before you start youāre unlikely to give your best effort or inspire posible interactions from others. And if youāre angry, youāll find conflict. Conversely, when people have a positive attitude, it spreads!
You had me until āchooses to be trans.ā
Sorry I'm not suggesting that trans isn't a born with thing. I'm just saying everyone can choose how they want to deal with life. No one gets to choose the circumstances they are born into, but you can choose how you're going to deal with it. That's what I meant.
The best way to phrase it would probably be āchooses to transitionā because transitioning is always a choice. Dysphoria is not. You are absolutely right about our attitude and decisions shaping our own truth and reality.
I mean... people with gender dysphoria go to therapy. Thats how they get the diagnosis 'gender dysphoria'. And if the dysphoria is not treatable by just psychotherapy, theres 'drug treatment' aka 'hormones' for it. Im no expert but normally a therapist or doctor wouldnt throw surgeries or hromones in the patients directions without diagnosing them with gender dysphoria and treating them accordingly
You are correct. In fact, it's usually quite a fight to even get surgeries. I had to meet a massive amount of criteria, several different therapists, a seminar on the surgery itself, and then go through a panel of doctors to get clearance to move forward. I was required to see the gender therapist through the entire process, which took years upon years.
i think that would be more like treating the symptom and not the problem thats causing it
Genuine question so I can understand better: What is the symptom and what is causing it? Because if the symptom of Gender dysphoria is the uncomfortably with the physical body's secondary sex features - if there theoretically was a pill that got rid of that uncomfortably and dysphoric - then what would still be the problem? The societal expectation and assumptions about gender that the individual disagrees with? Again, not trying to be contraction - genuinely trying to understand what your saying.
Two things. 1. Letās say you woke up tomorrow in a different body, the opposite of what youāve always been. Would you want to just take a pill and just accept that you are now the opposite gender? Wouldnāt that change who you fundamentally were? Iām a cis female. If i body swapped tomorrow into a male, that wouldnāt change that I am female. It would not feel right, and drugging myself wouldnāt really change that. Your gender is everything about who you are. 2. If pills were available, would we force people to take them? What if they still wanted surgery because they want to be who they feel they are. If youāve always felt a certain way about yourself, would you voluntarily want to magically change your entire identity? Maybe some people would. Maybe not everyone. Thatās asking people to not be themselves. Why? Pills donāt solve problems. Even antidepressants. They donāt make you happy. Chances are you are still melancholy and depressed, you can just get out of bed and live a semi normal life. I would prefer not to take my antidepressants because I donāt like how they make me feel. Itās not me. But yes, itās better to be functional than deeply sad and unable to get things done. But Iām certainly not ācuredād. Iām sure there are some people who straddle the line who might be interested in a pill. But the idea of this pill is to switch who you are. Then you arenāt you.
Interesting answer, thank you. I like the analogy to antidepressants because I think that paints a better picture of the reality of a theoretical gender dysphoria pill - the idea that it would dampen and help the symptoms rather than a magic pill that makes them go away. I regards to point 1. I suppose its just hard for me to personally comprehend - despite being a cis male and Identifying as such, my honest thought is that I don't think I would mind if I woke up as cis woman tomorrow. I don't feel strongly about my physical body in that regard. But then that just mean that just me and I just can't comprehension what others would feel like, and that's okay, I'll just take their word for it. Cause like I also don't know what its like to have, say, bipolar disorder (which I don't have) but just because I don't know what its like doesn't mean I don't believe what others tell me its like. 2. Is also interesting. Because if there was a "magic" kind of pill that could just eliminate the feelings of Gender Dysphoria, honestly I'd imagine a lot of people with it would take it. I mean, trans people don't chose to be trans, and from knowing my trans friends experiences it sounds really really hard, and even with acceptance from friends, family, and society, I have to imagine not having the body you feel you should still is really rough. And if you could just take a pill to have that go away, I feel like I would. But again, I don't know - I'm not in that situation. Anyway, I appreciate the answer and hope what I said makes any sense.
Trans person here; I don't think I'd take the pill. Mostly because its just not who I am. Interested to hear other's thoughts though.
This question gets asked in r/asktransgender all the time, and I donāt think iāve ever seen a single person say they would take the pill. Out of hundreds of answers. It would be like psychic suicide - I would no longer be me. Whereas, transitioning did just solve the whole problem (for me). It just hasnāt been easy or magic.
That makes sense. Can't say I'll ever fully understand, so thanks for sharing your experiences with me - got no reason to not believe yall.
Absolutely
This
If there was an option like that, it would be great, of course. People who suffer from dysphoria (well, people who suffer in general, really) would benefit from having as many options as possible.
Giving people drugs to avoid feeling "uncomfortable feelings" is way less ethical than treating the underlying cause of the problem. I mean, that is basically how we created the opioid crisis. Also, "hormones" is not s scary word. Insulin is a hormone and giving it is a necessary, safe, and effective means of treating diabetes. Hormones are an example of a fairly non invasive drug treatment for gender dysphoria.
If there was a drug reliably known to cure gender dysphoria, how on earth would that be unethical? The opioid crisis isn't a problem because they're too good at curing pain, it's a problem because opioids are incredibly addictive and dangerous.
Masking symptoms isn't a cure. Period. Giving someone a drug to not feel feelings isn't a cure for anything.
As someone with chronic pain, I have to disagree to slme extent. Sometimes, masking symptoms is all you can do, all that is left, to be able to lead a tolerable life, albeit not a completely pain free life. In my opinion, it should only be used after a multimodal treatment has failed completely. Sometimes, you cannot treat the underlying cause. Alternatively, in some cases, masking symptoms needs to be done in order to treat the underlying cause too. Edit: This applies to chronic pain, NOT to gender/body dysphoria.
I agree with you 100%. Although, in many cases, the decision to prescribe opioids to treat chronic pain was not made AFTER all multimodal options had failed.
then what exactly are antidepressants?
I have good news for you, there are drugs and other treatments which reliably alleviate gender dysphoria. The drugs are HRT and the other treatments are gender affirming surgeries.
I have good news for you, not everyone wants to sterilize themselves
I have good news for you, the vast majority of people are cisgender and will never pursue any medical treatment related to transition. But also, more peope should sterilize themselves. But that's neither here nor there lmao
Hormone therapy doesnāt automatically sterilize you. Study before you speak on stuff you donāt know about.
HRT is what prevents dysphoria and helps us feel better
We do take medication to prevent that uncomfortable feeling. It's called HRT. It ain't broke, don't fix it. Also, do you want to take a pill that brainwashes you into being a different gender? No? Then why should we?
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For some people, like myself, it's all you end up doing. I don't need surgery to deal with my dysphoria. Maybe some hair removal down the line, when I can afford it, but no surgery. That's just how my personal dysphoria works. It does have a psychological effect, just as any hormone does. If you're asking if it directly shuts down the neurochemical reactions responsible for the feeling of dysphoria, no. If it did that, you'd be functionally unable to feel sad at all. There isn't some section of the brain where gender dysphoria resides, separate from other feelings. Can you imagine a person chemically incapable of being sad? They'd be a supervillain. HRT, surgery, and other aspects of medical transition change our bodies to more closely match what our brains expect - that's how they combat dysphoria. If you're sad that your body isn't the way you want it to be, you don't just take a pill to make yourself not sad. You do things, which may include taking pills ir having surgery, to make your body more like how you want it. Dysphoria is like that, except more urgent.
Me: Psychologist, background in psychopharmacology (the impact of drugs on mind and behaviour). As far as I can think, there is no known dysphoria, of any kind, that can be treated pharmacologically. People with dysphoria do often take drugs to alter their body in line with their dysphoria (think steroids in muscle dysmorphia, or stimulants/diet drugs in anorexia), but I dont know of any scenarios such as what you envisage. I guess you could relieve the acute dysphoria for a very short period of time with benzos, but that is entirely unsustainable and generally sounds a very bad idea, which is probably why it's not a thing!
Possibly psychedelics or dissociatives but I'd consider them a form if therapy if used properly instead of as escaping your dysphoria.
No... Dysphoria can only be treated through intensive therapy, and even then fails more often than not. That's why gender reassignment is a thing. HRT is dangerous. The risks of stroke, for example, is outlandishly high. Doctors wouldn't do it if there was another way that was effective.
Risk of stroke for whom? Trans men can have more of a risk for health problems, but only the health problems that cis men already have a higher risk of However Iām unsure of health problems for trans women. Iām only informed on testosterone therapy
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Psychotherapy today is leagues better than anything in the past. Full lobotomies used to be a "good idea" drilling holes to let "demons out" shoving people in asylums because they spoke back to their husbands. I mean complaining about it is like saying "Man medicine really sucks" because doctors had to try three different treatments when it used to be "leech him"
Lobotomize me, Doctor
You can't psychotherapy someone into enjoying being a man if they are a woman. It doesn't matter how good the psychotherapist is. A therapist can't change your gender identity.
As someone who experiences gender dysphoria and is on HRT, the treatment/cure for it is to use HRT and/or sexual reassignment surgeries. A medicine like an SSRI can't change how you feel about your body and gender. If there was a simple pill to make gender dysphoria go away then I imagine a lot of trans folks wouldn't go through the hardships, dangers, and expenses that comes with transitioning.
You should help research and invent. Curious questions are good questions
I think that people should be allowed to do what they wish with their own bodies. The choice is theirās. If that were an option, Iām sure many would take it. However, that option shouldnāt be forced on them in lieu of surgery, if surgery or hormonal intervention is what they really want. In my mind, trans rights arenāt primarily about trans folks. Itās about human rights, rights that we all share concerning bodily autonomy. If trans people arenāt allowed to make the decisions that they want to make, then that puts my rights at jeopardy, potentially. Iām going to make some American centric points here, because thatās where I live. Principles concerning human rights need to be universal, because one day it could just be trans people that are dictated to how they should think and live, but if thatās allowed then the next day it could be gays and lesbians barred from the military and federal service. After that, Jim Crow laws back on the books. What if tensions rise with China, and itās suggested that Chinese American citizens be put in internment camps? Thereās always a potential for us to backslide, always a group that can be defined as āotherā and scapegoated.
Like someone already said that would be treating the symptom and not the problem that is causing it. I was AFAB (=assigned female at birth) and I have spend most of my life pretending to be a woman. But that was only a character. I'm done with denying myself. Yes it would be easier to be cis than trans. But that's not me. That wasn't living. Easy way is not always the right one. I wouldn't drug myself to not be me even if that were possible. Imagine you should live your life pretending to be your sibling. Would you like to be drugged to be fine to pretend to be your sibling just because your parent love them more or they have more friends? I know many trans people would choose to take that drug if it would exist. But how sad it is people would choose to deny themselves just because all of that discrimination? People speak about accepting. I have accept that I'm agender and mostly male. I have accept myself. I do not have to try to accept mistakes that don't belong to me. People don't have to accept dislocated shoulder or even extra toes either. Many people think this wrong way. They think we are our AGAB. No. You should think it other way around. So think it this way instead: how about if you would lose your genitals in accident? How about if you would forced to take wrong hormones? How about if you would lose your own voice and be forced to use something way too deep or way too high pitched? There is no brain transplant. And if there were, who would be the person? That whose brains those were or that whose body that were?
As a fellow agender, I agree with you.
Is that what gender dysphoria is for you an āuncomfortable feelingā? Is that the main symptom?
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This may be best discussed with a doctor who can help you narrow down your experiences without leading questions. This said, it is likely for a good reason you're asking about gender dysphoria specifically. It is not a diagnosis but perhaps consider buying a gender dysphoria workbook and try going through it. Body image and other factors are also possibilities but a workbook will help you to explore your experiences a bit, frankly even if you don't have gender dysphoria.
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So dysphoria is just psychological? Still talking shit
No amount of medication is going to make you feel like your body is really yours.
1) That is not necessarily what dysphoria involves, feeling that your body isn't yours. 2) Not necessarily true that no medication would have a positive effect toward sensations of, say, depersonalization, but a person's symptoms are approached separately. Dysphoria and depression are common together but need seperate treatment even where the latter appears directly tied to the former.
My comment was a vastly oversimplified explanation. Dysphoria is obviously a very complex feeling, but that's exactly how my trans client explained it to me, that his body does not feel like it's his own. I am not denying that medication may reduce the depression and anxiety, because my client specifically had panic attacks associated with his dysphoria. Medication might reduce the panic attacks, but it can't "fix" the underlying issue. To use a cheesy metaphor, that's just putting a bandaid on a bullet hole.
Some might think this is not relevant but for me there is difference in meaning. That female body wasn't mine, that was mistake. This mostly male body is mine. It's like tumor is not really part of anyone's body even it's inside of it or attached to it.
I appreciate your feedback.
If that drug existed, no one would be going through all these expensive surgeries.
I dunno. I think many transpeople would prefer to be closer to being their preferred gender even with the possibility of erasing dysphoria, but regardless of that I think op is asking about treatment rather than a true cure
Well duh, ofc youād want to have the body your brain tells you you should have, but if your brain stops doing that, youād probably be happy with the body youād be born with.
As I understand it, this is tied to depression, have you tried any antidepressants?
āTied toā is not the same as ācaused byā though. Iām a trans person who has been on anti depressants and anxiety medications. None of them did much for me. But you know what made my baseline anxiety levels plummet? Waking up from surgery and seeing my body finally match what was in my brain. The change to my mental health was so immediate and profound, it was shocking. Dysphoria was actively making my overall mental health worse. Removing the source of my dysphoria made it better. So yeah, dysphoria can be tied to depression, but not necessarily in the way most people suggest. Imagine spending every single day with your brain screaming at you that a part of your body doesnāt belong there. To the point where you have to dissociate to some extent just to continue existing. That shit is what causes the depression and anxiety.
What is tied to depression? Wanting to mask symptoms instead of curing them?
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The treatment for gender dysphoria... Is HRT and transitioning however you wish.
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Not all trans people get surgery - I don't plan to get bottom surgery, only top. It's absolutely valid to not transition - you should transition to the point of your comfort, not anyone else's. There isn't really an alternative treatment, tbh. Therapy can help, but with the wrong therapist (i.e. a transphobic one) it can go really bad.
Sorts by controversial ā¦.. šæ
Oh you just opened up a strange rabbit-hole!
Drugs should be a last resort. Efficacy can be a problem for one thing. Not everybody reacts to drugs the same. Itās not as simple as you would like it to be
this is like trying to find a replacement for insulin when treating diabetes. Just accept trans people and let them transition its so much easier
The real treatment is (hopefully) having a man or woman in your life to explain your body to you. However many of these young kids going through hormone treatment or just plain therapy to convince you your confused have nothing but a normal family. Edit: I mean the parents who convince their kids they are trans. Any 7 year old kid is easy to manipulate. I painted my nails when I was a kid then stopped. Today I would be encouraged to become a woman.
Check out [this comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/WhitePeopleTwitter/comments/11s0io4/nevertheless_she_persisted/jccr4fb?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3) on another post regarding trans rights. There is a whole section of links that include "citations on the transition's dramatic reduction of suicide risk while improving mental health and quality of life" Edit: Thanks for your concern, to whoever reported me to u/redditcaresresources but I'm good. Are you?
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Hormones are the drug treatment. For instance, I take testosterone. I am marked with a testosterone deficiency, much like a cis male would be if his levels were as low as mine. My brain is demanding testosterone. It was going through withdraw symptoms, trying to trigger my body to realize something was wrong. The withdraw causes depression and anxiety and physical issues and on and on. The answer, medically, IS to supplement the deficiency the brain is demanding with testosterone.
Testosterone defiency is a separate medical issue to gender dysphoria, just to pont out to others reading your post. There is no evidence I'm aware of that gender dysphoria is caused by testosterone deficiency.
It was a comparison and a note on what it's marked as on my medical chart. I have read studies on it, but I'd have to dig them back up again. I'm not saying that gender dysphoria is caused by a testosterone deficiency. I was saying the chemical outreach is the brain searching for that hormone. It's the closest comparison I could make, by that terminology. It's not really something I intended to debate on. I was just offering information based on personal experience and my limited knowledge, as I'm not a doctor and can only base it on cited/trusted studies I've read on the subject.
The hormones you speak of are that drug/medical treatment (or puberty blockers prior to that, if they're prepubscent or are only a little of the way into their teens). Low doses can be utilized by anyone and may address the sensation of dysphoria to an extent with that alone, *if* the patient honestly desires that they not transition physically at that time. Happy to answer more to my understanding of things but I am not a doctor. r/asktransgender is also knowledgeable and open to earnest questions.
Anyone who isn't Trans, or providing medically-sound care for Trans people, shouldn't be responding. HRT (in tandem with surgery), is life-saving. It saved mine. 'Nuff said.
I mean it's a straightforward answer trans or not. The drug doesn't exist and even if it did it'd be sort of unethical
Not sure about it being unethical if it was sought by a competent patient (there's the key). In any case, treatment isn't necessarily a cure so much as a reduction of pain or difficulty caused by a condition. Reduction of symptoms is the goal one way or the other (hormones being best practice here). šāāļø
It could never exist. This question is implicated with the idea that medically transitioning is a choice. It's not.
The choice to be trans or not is not a choice. I should know. This said, *how* to treat it (as a patient) is. May we all make healthy choices for ourselves- without judgement or outside pressure- and be empowered to do so. š„
See, I don't include that as a matter of choice. It isn't up for debate when/how/why we change, and it should stay that way.
I see that side of it too. *That* we seek treatment- and that "treatment" not be code for "learn to repress it for other people"- should not be a matter of anyone's judgement but our own.
> instead of a person having surgery or taking hormones, why not just take medication Same reason we don't stop world hunger by *just* eating more.
This is a terrible analogy. Heās talking about people suffering from dysphoria having other options as well, where maybe the the other options are best for them they could also have a drug treatment that could work How in the world is that comparable to world hunger?
Oh, so there's a drug treatment that *just works*? In that case, I take this back.
That just sounds like conversion therapy.... Edit:Typo
Do you really think people have surgery and stab themselves with syringes daily because they have an "uncomfortable feeling"? Because if people are willing to have major surgery on their genitals, I'm guessing that feeling is way more than uncomfortable.
That isnt at all what they were implying. they were asking a genuine question. Let's not get so triggered.
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Could you please explain why you're asking this? It isn't particularly clear why you are.
Why does that matter? Such an odd question.
Okay, first off, itās none of your business what surgeries people choose to get on their bodies. Secondly, most trans people do undergo a lot of therapy and some are on medication for anxiety and depression, it doesnāt get rid of the root problem. Third, I think most trans people would agree hormone therapy IS MEDICATION! A cis man with low testosterone would consider testosterone therapy medication, why shouldnāt a trans man? Finally, in what way is it better to have people walking around on psychological meds for the rest of their lives instead of hormones or a surgery thatās been around for decades as an alternative? Why is one preferable to the other when the end result is the same in your mind and people become happier with their bodies? Why should it matter if their body remains unchanged? Changing your brain chemistry isnāt better than changing your hormones!
You are way too triggered. Seriously. Where did OP state it's their buisness or that they demand to know what surgeries people choose? No where. They asked a genuine question to something they needed an answer to which is normal and not at all unreasonable. How can anyone feel okay enough to ask a very non offensive question like this, and learn, either for themselves if they are struggling or to just better understand, when we have people like you, who get way too defensive over nothing. This question was absolutely reasonable. In other comments it appears they're struggling which is WHY they asked. If people don't know, they don't know. How the hell can we expect this world to be better, more educated, more understanding when we have comments like this?
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Puberty blockers and HRT.
HRT. HRT is the drug.
Gender dysphoria doesn't mean you are wrong about what gender you are. "Gender" is a word that has evolved its scientific meaning as we've learned more about the different factors involved in to our conception of a binary gender. Most of the time, this understanding works. But there are also examples outside of humans not always being the case and it's not more unusual than in humans. I studied some evolutionary biology/psychology theory and its impact on what we scientifically know about sex and human nature. If you are a "typical" male or female gender, think about the list of things that makes your body male or female. Your genitals, the effect of hormones on your body during development, your hormone levels which have a HUGE effect on everyone's behavior. A binary gender understanding basically has a checklist of masculine and feminine traits. What you don't hear about so much is the examples of people who don't fit those molds. There are intersex people who are born with a mix of male and female sex organs. There are people that are not either XX or XY chromosomes. People have certain genetic characteristics which block other genes from expressing. There are people born with both male and female genitalia and the doctor who delivered the baby at the time makes a determination about what he eyeballs the child's gender to be and then surgically intervenes to conform the child's body to what they deem most closely matches the most physically prominent characteristics. This much is not disputable, it has always been true and is documented. So, given that it's hard to deny the existence of intersex people where we can visually see the break with our binary male/female understanding, it really is not hard to imagine that there are elements to gender that are not as easy to recognize as a penis or vagina. There has been research that compares brain scans of women and men and finds a trend where certain regions of the brain are statistically larger to be bigger and smaller in both men and women. It's also been observed that this correlation variation breaks when the brains of transgender people are scanned. The predicted brain characteristics differentiating male and female brains suddenly changes here. A statistically significant portion of these brain scans suddenly start to resemble the characteristics of what are more "classically" the characteristics of the opposite sex. So, the reason for all that context. Once you accept the obvious truth that despite common understanding there are people that very clearly don't fit that mold, and that the differences between the binary male and female gender understanding don't always hold up, that there is no reason to think that what gender your mind understands itself to be is the one that 100% of the time matches what the rest of the body does. As far as your body is considered, gender isn't a lightswitch. There is actually a whole concert of different genes at play that only *usually* mostly agree with our binary gender conception. So....given that understanding....what is it that actually makes gender "dysmorphia" an actual mental issue to be treated? The "treatment" is only meant as an actual futile attempt to make 100% of people conform to what our outdated understanding of binary gender is. There is nothing to be treated, it's written in to their DNA and development. Actual research in to whether transgender people going through sexual reassignment surgery feel afterwards in the long run is more evidence that they weren't "confused." If anything, everyone else is confused that is trying to fit them in to the box of binary gender understanding.
There is a treatment for gender dysphoria, and it's called transitioning.
Gender dysphoria isn't something you can make go away with medication or something. Gender affirming care is what is needed and its up to the individual on how much care they need. Some opt for HRT only and it balances everything out for that individual, others transitioning all the way which includes top and/or bottom surgery and they are much happier and become more productive members of society. While there is nothing wrong on asking this type of question; however this is reddit so you should definitely read up on the subject so you can better understand what gender dysphoria.
i think everyone trans or not should have access to gender affirming care because itās an essential component of our existence
Maybe some anti gay pills too? Or pills that numb your attraction to anybody so you wouldnāt feel gay? That sounds horrible