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Things you did not know about Gender Dysphoria!

Things you did not know about Gender Dysphoria!

Things you did not know about Gender Dysphoria!

 

Gender dysphoria is the result of an individual’s inability to identify oneself with the gender they have been assigned by birth and a desire to identify oneself with the opposite or an alternate gender.

Things you did not know about Gender Dysphoria!

Now let us read more elaborately into the topic:

WHAT EXACTLY IS GENDER DYSPHORIA?

Things you did not know about Gender Dysphoria!

Gender dysphoria is a feeling where one wants to be identified as the opposite gender and sometimes even an alternative gender, because they are not satisfied with the sex they have assigned by birth. This sentiment of dissatisfaction and identity crisis gives rise to conditions of social impairment and dysphoria.

People going through a gender dysphoria want to live, dress and feel like the opposite sex and on some instances even an alternative gender.

Identity issues may become apparent in different ways, such as a person with the primary sexual characteristics (genitals) of a particular gender and the secondary sexual characteristics (breasts, body hair, high or low pitched voice) may identify with the gender that is associated with the typical secondary characteristics. Sometimes they may dress in clothes associated with the other gender and at other times they may even want to go through hormonal therapy to perfectly attain the characteristics of the other gender and live a life as the other gender.

Gender dysphoria will manifest itself in children, adolescents and adults alike. There isn’t a specific age group that is affected by it. Young girl children will express an overt desire to be a boy through the clothes they wish to dress in, the games they wish to play and the company they seek in general, while expressing aversion to their parents enforcing feminine attire or expecting typical feminine traits to be exhibited. Similarly boys express a desire to dress like girls, hang out in the company of other girls, demonstrating behaviour that is akin to girls and stating interest in typically feminine toys like dolls, playhouses, faux cookery sets instead of cars, video games and so on.

Whereas adults express a desire to be identified as the gender they identify with instead of the gender they are assigned by birth. They dress, communicate and flaunt feelings akin to the opposite gender.

However this unusual behaviour in both men and women irrespective of whether they are kids, adolescents or adults should only be considered as a disorder provided the individual concerned feels the distress brought by the situation and if indeed at all triggers social awkwardness, isolation and other such sorts of issues.

The distress occurring out of incongruence often result in depression within children who face certain social impairments like separation identity disorder or generalised identity disorder, while adults may go as far as wanting to commit suicide to escape the depression.

Which is why it is important that we as individuals realise our orientations and our expressed gender identifications or empathise with the others who are subject to such incongruence and offer ample support to them, letting them know that there is always a way out from such distress.

SYMPTOMS IN CHILDREN

Things you did not know about Gender Dysphoria!

Gender dysphoria makes itself felt differently in different age groups. In children it expresses itself in ways which are not similar to the ways it expresses itself in adults.

The symptoms of gender dysphoria in children are as follows:

  1. There is a problem with the identification of oneself as a male or a female, creating a discord in the head with respect to the gender that one is assigned at birth and the gender that one associates with.
  2. The child’s expressed desire to be identified as the gender of their choice which is in opposition to the gender they have assigned to by birth.
  3. Male children have the tendency to engage in cross dressing
  4. While girls will have the tendency to dress in masculine outfits, in order to appear less feminine.
  5. Children might also engage in fantasy plays and make believe games where they behave as the gender they desire to identify with.
  6. A fascination develops for toys, activities and other such sorts of stuff that are identified with the desired gender they seek to associate with
  7. There is a disregard for one’s physical anatomy.
  8. Normal functioning in the social sphere, schools and home is disrupted as clinically recognised.

SYMPTOMS IN ADOLESCENTS AND ADULTS

In adolescents and adults however, the dysphoria is expressed a bit differently as to children.

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  1. There is a discrepancy for as long as six months between the expressed gender role and the sexual anatomy – (the primary sexual organs or the secondary characteristics such as breasts, body hair and so on)
  2. After a period of 6 months, there arises an immense desire to acquire the primary or secondary characteristics of the other gender.
  3. The longing to be identified and recognised as the other gender.
  4. There is a need to communicate that they think and feel the sentiments of the other gender.
  5. Normal functioning in the social sphere, schools and home is disrupted as clinically recognised.

WHAT REALLY CAUSES GENDER DYSPHORIA?

While the absolutely perfect cause of gender dysphoria is not clear, it is believed to be an outcome of hormonal influences in the womb. This condition occurs both in children as well as adults.

Affiliation towards cross gender activities is realised between ages 2 to 4. However a small number of children continue to show signs of gender dysphoria until later into their adolescence and adulthood, which is why they are referred to clear doubts especially when entering school to limit social impairment as much as possible.

In adults, the affiliation towards cross gender activities is realised in early to mid adulthood.

As per the two different courses of gender dysphoria:

  1. The first route to it being the continuation of the onset of it in childhood into adolescence and adulthood,
  2. While the second route to it being overt identification with cross gender activities and identities so that the adult may want to go as far as clinical transformations as a consequence of transvestic fetishism (a desire to identify with the opposite gender to one’s own).

WHAT ARE THE AVAILABLE TREATMENTS?

Children could be subjected to individual or family counselling while adults can be offered individuals or couples therapy.

As an adult self-made individual one might even want to go through sex change operations and children might need parental guidance and support with regard to being allowed sex reassignment whether through surgery or hormonal implants.

However sometimes, sex reassignment doesn’t necessarily help in getting rid of the gender dysphoria, which is why psychotherapy is essential to overcome any sort of impairment caused by transvestic fetishism.

If you are somebody who are facing gender dysphoria or are acquainted to someone who is, this post should help you realise that you are not alone and that there is effective solution at your disposal. Consider those solutions instead of suffering by yourself.

If you have any experiences of sex reassignment and or hormonal transplantations or know somebody who has gone through a similar procedure please feel free to share your experience with us in the comments section below for the others to find courage and support in taking the plunge.

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