Gender Dysphoria Symptoms: Here's How to Know if You ...

According to New York-based mental health counselor GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC, many people with gender dysphoria experience anxiety, depression, ... HomeSexualHealthGenderDysphoriaSymptoms:Here'sHowtoKnowifYouHaveItGenderDysphoriaSymptoms:Here'sHowtoKnowifYouHaveItAllaboutgenderdysphoria,includingsymptoms,treatment,andthecontroversysurroundingthecondition.ByClaireGillespieUpdatedFebruary28,2020AdvertisementSavePinFBMoreTweetEmailSendTextMessagePrintIfyou'vebeenhearingthetermgenderdysphorialatelyandwonderifitdescribesyou,you'reprobablynotalone.Whatdoesthistermmean,exactly?Ifyoufeelstronglythatthesexyouwereassignedatbirthdoesn’tmatchthegenderyouidentifywith,thenyoumayhavegenderdysphoria. “GenderdysphoriaisasetofinternalexperiencesthataredefinedintheDiagnosticandStatisticalManualofMentalDisorders(DSM-5)tohighlightthepsychologicalandphysicaldiscomfortonehaswiththeoutwardappearanceoftheirsexandtheinternalexperienceofone’sgenderidentity,”LouiseNewton,clinicaldirectorofpsychotherapyatMindPathCareCentersatCarolinaPartnersinMentalHealthCare,PLLC,tellsHealth.[PublishedbytheAmericanPsychiatricAssociation,theDSM-5isconsideredthe"bible"fordiagnosingmentalillness.]gender-dysphoriaFemaleportraitwithcollagedfacepartsCredit:GettyImagesRELATED:WhatDoesItMeantoBeGenderFluid?Here'sWhatExpertsSayGenderdysphoriacanstartatayoungage—asearlyasthreeyearsold,Newtonsays,withapeakaroundpubertyassecondarysexcharacteristicsdevelop.Butnoteverybodywhofitsthediagnosticcriteriaforgenderdysphoriawillhavetheexperiencesoearlyinlife.Also,genderdysphoriacanmanifestindifferenttypesofbehavior.Somepeoplemaycross-dress,somemaywanttosociallytransition(inotherwords,transitiontotheaffirmedgender’spronounsandbathroom),whileothersmaychoosetomedicallytransitionviahormonetherapyand/orsex-changesurgery. RELATED:WhatIsPansexual?Here'sHowIt'sDifferentFromBeingBisexualDoesgenderdysphoriahavesymptoms?Therearenouniversallyagreed-uponsignsofgenderdysphoria,becausesomuchofhowpeopleexperiencetheirgenderisinformedbyexternalforcessuchasculture,religion,andethnicity.AccordingtoNewYork-basedmentalhealthcounselorGinaMarieGuarino,LMHC,manypeoplewithgenderdysphoriaexperienceanxiety,depression,andstressasaresultoftheirinternalconflictwiththeirbiologicalsex—whichcansignificantlyaffecthowtheyareabletocopewitheverydaylife. “Thestrugglesmayincludefeelingsofdiscomfortintheirownskinorfantasizingaboutbeinganothergender,”GuarinotellsHealth.“Apersonwithdiagnosabledysphoriamayalsofeeldiscomfortordistastetowardtheirsexualanatomyorbiology—thisismostoftenseenduringpubertyandcarriesthroughadulthood.” Additionally,socialskills,theabilitytoformandsustainrelationships,mentalhealth,emotions,andacademicorworkperformanceareoftenseriouslyaffected. Whyisitsocontroversial?In2013,thetermgenderdysphoriareplaced“genderidentitydisorder”intheDSM-5.Thenewtermwasintendedtobemoredescriptive,focusingondiscomfortastheissueratherthanidentity,andtohelppeopleaccessmoreeffectivetreatmentforthatdiscomfort. However,thelistingremainscontroversial,saysNewton.“Whilemanypeopleinthetransgenderandgenderexpansivecommunityfeelaffirmedbythediagnosis(andthesubsequentrecommendedcourseoftreatment),manyothersbelievethathavingagenderidentityorexpressionthatisdifferentfromthesexyouwereassignedatbirthshouldnotbeconsideredaformofmentalinstability,”shesays.“Bothcampsarecorrect,aspeopleexperiencegenderdysphoriainverydifferentways.” Thecontroversydoesn'tendwiththeDSM-5classification.“Manytransgenderandgenderexpansivecommunitymembersfeelveryrealdiscomfortinhowothersregardthem—andattimespolicethem—forfallingoutsideofthemoreexpectedgenderexpressions,”saysNewton.“Somepeopleareabletoperformthegenderexpressionthatmatchesthesextheywereassignedatbirthquitewell,buthaveageneralinternalsenseofunease.Insomecases,transgenderandgenderexpansivepeoplemayidentityasgayorlesbianbeforetheyidentifyastransgender,butnotalways.”RELATED:BeingSkoliosexualisLegitandHasNothingtoDoWithYourSpine.ASexologistExplainsDoesgenderdysphoriameanthatyou'regay?Genderdysphoriaisnotthesameasidentifyingasadifferentgenderorsexualorientation,suchasgayorbisexual.Norisitthesameasgendernonconformity,whichtheAmericanPsychiatricAssociation(APA)referstoas“behaviorsnotmatchingthegendernormsorstereotypesofthegenderassignedatbirth,”suchasgirlsbehavinganddressinginwaysmoresociallyexpectedofboys,oradultmenwhooccasionallycross-dress. Cangenderdysphoriabetreated?Becausethegenderconflictaffectspeopleinsomanydifferentways,treatmentoptionsalsovary.Thereincludecounseling,cross-sexhormones,pubertysuppression,andgenderreassignmentsurgery,accordingtotheAPA.It’spossibletohaveastrongdesiretobeofadifferentgenderthantheonethecorrespondswithyourbiologicalsex—andtobetreatedassuch—withoutseekingmedicaltreatmentormakingphysicalchanges.Butothersmaywanthormonetreatmentandgenderreassignmentsurgerytoachieveafulltransitiontotheoppositesex. Publicawarenessandunderstandingofgenderdysphoriaiscrucial,toavoidaddingsignificantexternalstresstotheinternalstressthepersonisboundtobeexperiencingalready. “Inthecaseofchildren,it’smostimportantforfamilymembersandteacherstoresistthetemptationtosteerthem—beitgentlyorharshly—asthiscancauselifelongtrauma-relatedstress,”Newtonwarns. RELATED:6WomenRevealtheMomentTheyRealizedTheyWereBisexualWherecanIgoforsupportorcounseling?Ifyouthinkyoumighthavegenderdysphoria,helpisoutthere.NewtonsuggestsseekingoutalocalLGBTQcommunitysupportgroupand/orapsychotherapistthroughtheWorldProfessionalAssociationonTransgenderHealth(WPATH).ThefreeTransLifelinehotlinecanpointyouinthedirectionofresourcesinyourcommunity,andalsoprovidehelpandsupportduringtimesofcrisis. Togetourtopstoriesdeliveredtoyourinbox,signupforthe HealthyLiving newsletterClosethisdialogwindowShare&More©CopyrightHealth.com.Allrightsreserved.Printedfromhttps://www.health.comCloseSigninClosethisdialogwindowViewimageGenderDysphoriaSymptoms:Here'sHowtoKnowifYouHaveItthislinkistoanexternalsitethatmayormaynotmeetaccessibilityguidelines.