Gender dysphoria | Mental Health Foundation

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Aboutgenderdysphoria Signsofgenderdysphoria Transitionandtreatmentoptions Resources&Links Open/CloseAllContent Share: Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Email Print Foundin: MentalHealthConditions Date:November2019 Aboutgenderdysphoria Genderdysphoriaisaformaldiagnosisusedwhenapersonisveryuncomfortablewiththesexorgendertheywereassignedatbirth.Apersonmayfeelasthoughtheirgenderidentity(theirpersonalsenseofidentificationasmale,female,neither,both,orsomewhereinbetween)doesnotmatchtheirbody,orthegenderthatothersseethemas. Thediscomfortapersonfeelsbecauseofthisiscalledgenderdysphoria.Manypeoplewhoexperiencegenderdysphoriaaretransgender,trans*,orgenderdiverse.Theseareusedasumbrellatermstodescribepeoplewhosegenderidentityisdifferentfromthesextheyweregivenatbirth.Genderidentityisnotthesameassexualorientation.Peoplewhoaretransgendermayidentifyasstraight,gay,lesbian,bisexual,asexualoranyothersexualorientation.Transgenderidentitiesarevariedanddiverse.Someoftheseinclude:Takatāpui,whakawahine,tangatairatane,FtM,MtF,transsexual,fa’afafine,transmen,transwomen,akava’ine,leiti,genderqueerandgender-neutral.Transgenderidentities,andgenderdiversity,arenotmentalillnesses. However,peoplewhoaretransgenderoftenfacediscrimination,harassmentandsocialrejection.Becauseofthis,theymaybemorelikelytoexperiencedepression,anxiety,suicidalthoughtsorothermentalhealthproblems.Genderdysphoriaisamentalhealthproblemthatmanytransgenderpeopleexperience.Itcanincludeanxietyordistressrelatedtonotbeingrecognisedasthegendertheyidentifywith,socialisolation,andastrongdesiretochangetheirphysicalbodytofeelmoreconsistentwiththeirgenderidentity(forexample,throughhormonetreatmentorsurgery). Causes Genderdiversityisanaturalpartofhumanlife.Aperson'stransgenderidentitymayberelatedtotheirbiology(forexample,geneticinfluencesorprenatalhormonelevels),ortheirlifeexperiences. Researchsuggeststhataperson'sgenderidentityisfixedinmostpeoplearoundthetimeofpuberty. Genderdysphoriadevelopswhenapersonsuffersdistressrelatedtotheirgenderidentity. Inpart,thisdistressmayberelatedtowhethertheyareacceptedandvaluedbyfamily,friendsandtheircommunity. Signsofgenderdysphoria Itiscommonforyoungchildrentoplayaroundwithhowtheyexpressgender–forexample,notwantingtoweartypicalboys’orgirls’clothes,ordressingupandtakingpartintraditionallymaleorfemalegamesoractivities.Inmostchildren,thesebehavioursdonotmeantheyaretransgenderorexperiencinggenderdysphoria.Childrenandyoungpeoplewhoareexperiencinggenderdysphoriamay:consistentlysaytheyareaboyoragirl,eventhoughtheyhavephysicaltraitsassociatedwiththeoppositesexbedisgustedbytheirowngenitalsorwanttogetridofthembelievetheywillgrowuptobethegendertheyidentifyasstronglypreferfriendsofthegendertheyidentifywithrejectclothes,toysandgamesthataredesignedforthe"wrong"genderrefusetourinateinthewaythatistypicalfortheirbodytype(i.e.standingorsitting)beextremelydistressedoranxiousaboutthechangesthathappentotheirbodyduringpuberty.Adolescentsandadultswithgenderdysphoriamay:becertainthattheirtruegenderdoesnotmatchtheirbodyfeeldisgustwiththeirgenitalsorbodyhaveastrongdesiretogetridoftheirgenitalsorundergogenderreassignmentsurgery. Diagnosis Whilegenderidentityisnotaproblem,diagnosisandtreatmentofgenderdysphoriaareimportant.Peoplewhoexperiencegenderdysphoriahavehigherratesofothermentalhealthconditions.Thesemayincludedepression,anxiety,suicidalthoughts,alcoholorotherdrugaddiction,oreatingdisorders.Itisworthtalkingtoadoctoraboutyourexperienceofgenderdysphoria,andanytreatmentorphysicaltransitionyouareinterestedinundergoing.Yourdoctorwilltakeanoteofyourhistory(whatyouhavefeltandforhowlong)andwilltalktoyouabouthowyouarefeeling,tounderstandwhetheryouareexperiencinganyothermentalhealthproblemslikedepressionoranxiety. Thedoctorcanthenreferyoutoamentalhealthprofessionalwhoisqualifiedtoaccuratelydiagnosegenderdysphoria.InNewZealand,thisisusuallyrequiredifyouareinterestedinundergoingaphysicaltransition,suchastakinghormonesorgettinggenderreassignmentsurgery. Transitionandtreatmentoptions Thegoalofanytreatmentistosupportyoutoreducethedistressingfeelingofhavingamismatchbetweenyourbodyandgenderidentity.Treatmentisnotaboutchangingyourgenderidentityorwhoyouare."Transitioning"isaprocessthatmanytransgenderpeoplegothroughtochangetheirappearanceortheirpresentationtomatchtheirgenderidentity.Formosttransgenderpeople,beingabletogothroughthetransitionprocesstheychoosehelpstoreducegenderdysphoria.Treatmentortransitionmeansdifferentthingsfordifferentpeople.Itcouldinclude:"comingout"tofriends,familyandothersastransgender,oranotheridentitydressingandlivingasyourpreferredgenderchangingyournameaskingpeopletousedifferentpronounstodescribeyou(forexamplehe,she,orthey)havingyourgenderchangedonlegalidentificationdocumentslikeyourbirthcertificate,passport,ordriver'slicensetakingpubertyblockers–medicationthatayoungpersoncantaketosuppressphysicalchangesassociatedwithpuberty.Thismeanstheycandelaymakingadecisionaboutwhethertheywanttotakehormonesorhavesurgeryuntiltheyareoldertakinghormones(estrogenortestosterone),orhavingsurgery,tochangeyourbody'sappearancehavingcounsellingtoreducedistress,anxietyorotherdistressingfeelingsgettingcounsellingforyourfamilyorfriendstohelpthemunderstandandadjusttoyoursituation. Talkingtherapiesandcounselling Itcanbereallyhelpfultogetcounsellingfromsomeonewhoknowsalotaboutgenderidentityissuesandcanoffersupportthroughanychangesassociatedwithtransitioning. Therapyisintendedtohelpyouadapttoandfeelokayaboutyoursituation.Alltypesoftherapy/counsellingshouldbeprovidedtoyouandyourfamilyandwhānauinamannerthatisrespectfulofyou,andwithwhichyoufeelcomfortableandfreetoaskquestions. Itshouldbeconsistentwithandincorporateyourculturalbeliefsandpractices. Medicines Biologicaltreatments,liketakinghormonesandphysicallyalteringsexcharacteristics,canreducethefeelingofmismatchbetweenyourphysicalbodyandgenderidentity.Initialassessmentpriortohormonetherapyrequirestheassessmentofamentalhealthprofessional,soyouwillbeguidedthroughthisbythem.Ifyou'represcribedhormonetherapy,youwillbetakenthroughthenamesofthemedicines;whatsymptomstheyaresupposedtotreat;howlongitwillbebeforetheytakeeffect;howlongyouwillhavetotakethemfor;andunderstandthesideeffects. Surgery Manytransgenderpeoplehavetreatmenttochangetheirbodypermanentlysothatitismoreconsistentwiththeirgenderidentity. Thismightincludegenitalsurgery,hairremovalandchest/breastorotherreconstructivesurgeries. InNewZealand,lettersofsupportaregenerallyrequiredfromtwomentalhealthspecialistsforgenitalsurgery,butthisisusuallyreducedtooneopinionfornon-genitalsurgery,suchasfacialsurgeryandbreast(chestreconstruction)surgery.  Treatmentforchildren Someyoungchildrenwhoareuncomfortableabouttheirgenderidentitygoontoidentifyastransgenderteensandadults,yetsomedonot.Individualandfamilytherapyisrecommendedforchildrentocreateasupportiveenvironmentathomeandinschool.  Supportingsomeoneelse Peoplewhoaregenderdiversecananddolivehappy,fulfillinglives.Thisismadealoteasierwhenthepeoplearoundthemareencouraging,supportive,andloving.Genderdysphoriacanbemuchworsewhenapersonisnotsupportedoracceptedbywhānauandfamily,orwhentheyarejudged,bullied,ordiscriminatedagainst.Ifsomeonehastoldyoutheyaretransgender,trytoberespectfulofthis.Itmaytakeyousometogetusedtothechange,buttheyarestillthesamepersonyouknowandlove,andyourarohaandacceptanceiswhattheyneedmost.It’sokayifyoufeelconfused,upset,angry,orevenasenseoflossatfirst.Alltheyneedtoknowisthatyoustillcareaboutandlovethem.Ifthischangefeelstoooverwhelming,letthemknowyouneedtimetoprocessit,andgetsupportforyourself,suchascounselling.ThankstoJanetPeters,registeredpsychologistforreviewingthiscontent.Datelastreviewed:February2015 Resources&Links HealthcarefortransgenderNewZealanders Transgenderpeoplehavetherighttorespectfulhealthcare.Informationfrom... ReadMore Takatāpui:PartoftheWhānau Takatāpuimeaningintimatecompanionofthesamesex Order Familieslikemine Practicaladvicetofamiliesofyounggenderdiversepeople&thosequestioningtheirsexualityorgenderidentity. ReadMore GenderMinoritiesAotearoa Anationaldatabaseofinformationandresourcestolinkgenderdiversepeoplewiththeservicestheyneed. ReadMore RainbowYouth Support,information,advocacy&educationforqueerandtrans*youngpeople(agedbetween13and28),friends&whan... ReadMore OUTline Confidentialtelephonesupportrelatedtogenderidentityorsexualorientation:08006885463. ReadMore AgenderNZ Anorganisationthatprovidessupportandlobbyingservicesfortransgenderpeopleandtheirfamilies. ReadMore NewZealandHumanRightsCommission'sTransgenderInquiry Theinquiryintodiscriminationexperiencedbytransgenderpeople,published... ReadMore BacktoMentalHealthConditions