Gender identity as a trauma response

From what I know about ED (ex sufferer, daughter of a mother who had it and eventually died from it at 56) is that it’s very much about control. This may include being in control in a dysfunctional domestic setting, trying to be in control of a social setting (school/work), being in control of a body that is changing against one’s will (puberty, pregnancy/postnatally in my DMs case), or about exerting control on the adults/others in your world by manipulating them through fear and a form of coercion. Our ex Tavi therapist Dr Anastassis Spiliadis (witness called in the Bell V Tavi case), had a special interest in the overlap between EDs and ROGD and was doing post grad research on this particular area of study. He said our family history of generational EDs seeming to transmute to GD in this generation was very common and seemed to overlap in more ways than the body dysmorphia that was central to both conditions. It may be that ASD/ADHD was a variable (I am being diagnosed, and am now increasingly convinced my DM could/would have been diagnosed had she be alive now). My DD definitely has ARFIDS, but then fussy eating/issues with food textures etc is also a feature of ASD.

I’ve struggled to access his research, though, but assume this may be due to the political climate, difficulty getting research in this area published in the last few years, but he did write a critique on an article by Marcus Evans on GD sufferers with a history of trauma that might be a useful read if you can access it? As would the originating article by Evans?

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/368793962_Commentary_on_the_paper_by_Marcus_Evans_Assessment_and_treatment_of_a_gender-dysphoric_person_with_a_traumatic_history/citations

I don't think you need to fully separate out from other forms of dysphoria, not focus on a single major episode of trauma.

Those with eating disorders are dysphoric, detached from their bodies and it's often the drip drip of minor comments, essentially death by papercuts, form of trauma (mum talking about her own weight, granny giving slimmer sibling a biscuit, skinny models in magazines, diet advice etc ). There are surely parallels with this type of traumatic experience and being told girls can't do that, here's a pink dress while your brother can scruff about, men noticing your developing breasts, the hush around periods.

I just think a wider literature search would also have merit.

https://thirdwaytrans.com/
The trans woman (?detransitioned man) who wrote this blog talked about their gender dysphoria and identity as "traumatogenic" - it's the first place I saw that term used.
My memory is that the blog's author was filled with compassion for trans identified male people but lacked depth of understanding of female perspective on it all - but within those limitations it was a fantastic blog. It's the only place I've come across honest conversation about the traumatogenic nature of trans identity. He is (or was) also a psychologist so may have been doing research.
The blog has been private for years now but it says you can request access if you have a Wordpress login. So that might be a way of getting in touch with them.
As an aside, I remember reading and hearing several stories from people who were sexually abused as children who talked about deliberate manipulation of their understanding of whether they were male or female being something their abuser/s really enjoyed messing with their heads about.
Also, I've just remembered, I was involved with this group,
https://blueknot.org.au/
for several years. It's a charity that provides support for adult survivors of child abuse.
I remember they sent out information about their service around the time they changed their name, which I've just looked up was 2016. They had an info sheet on who their service users were. It said 45% of their service users were trans (-identified). I remember thinking, well the cat's out of the bag now, surely. But all that actually happened was that they stopped including that data in either mailouts or online after that.
Maybe you could get in touch with them? I don't anticipate they'd be wanting to rock the boat, though, by releasing uncomfortable data. Even just writing this makes me so angry so good luck to you. I really hope you can do something to shift the conversation on this. You're a wise and strong woman.

I am not sure I'd say the idea is that trauma gives rise to gender identity in people.

It gives rise to alienation from the body and also from the self. "Gender identity" isn't required to explain that. It's a tool to destroy a body that's seen as a betrayer.

I'm aware of writing that argues all gendering is traumatic (as in an incursion on the sense of self, not as Trauma (catastrophic event) or trauma (ongoing difficult responses and disequilibrium in the environment)).

Does that make sense?

The writing also argues that transitioning can be a creative, unfinished response to trauma.

DM me as the writing is context specific

Lots of intersex problem who have experienced trauma to do with their condition identify as trans.

@PermanentTemporary @XChrome Thank you, I appreciate it!

I notice Laura Wiley Haynes wrote a brief essay on this on Genspect’s website, and she also did a pod cast with Stephanie Winn discussing childhood trauma? No direct research listed, but her other writings might point to some? Might be worth following her to see if she points explicitly to the link between the two?

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you can heal.

And Tish has looked into materials aimed at professionals working with kids in the looked after system:

gendercriticalwoman.blog/2021/05/28/foster-care-the-lgbtq-guidance/

https://www.endocrine-abstracts.org/ea/0099/ea0099p144

https://www.compassfostering.com/advice/fostering-lgbt-youth

(apologies if any of these are already on the thread, I’m just pulling links from my bookmarks)

Hi @afraidanonaccount I hope you can find some peace. I'd want anyone to be able to live their life in the best way for them and in a way that allows them to heal and flourish without harming others. Whatever that looks like. I have to hope that also includes peace with your own body.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1359104518791657?journalCode=ccpa

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/13418731_Adoptee_Overrepresentation_among_Clinic-Referred_Boys_with_Gender_Identity_Disorder

https://www.adoptivefamilies.com/parenting/higher-rates-of-adoption-among-transgender-youth/

www.wbur.org/news/2016/08/01/transgender-adoption

something I’ve noticed but not really seen collated/documented beyond the anecdotal is what seems to be a high number of FtM transitioners amongst those adopted overseas, especially those adopted from China as baby girls.

Yes, this is what happened to me. I've been facing sexism as a boy and that led to these feelings. I'm still struggling with it.

From this article

“Returning to the case of Ms Kiefel, her lawsuit raises questions about how mental health, and particularly past trauma, may play a role in gender dysphoria and in the desire for some TGNB individuals to pursue treatment such as gender-affirming hormones or surgeries. Viewing traumatic experiences and gender dysphoria in strict isolation from each other may pose problems in delivering “culturally competent, evidence based, and effective treatment” given the high rate of exposure to trauma for those with gender or sexual minority status.27 Furthermore, limiting clinical focus to the stresses related to minority status and/or discrimination may risk overlooking the role of early traumatic experiences that are antecedent to a patient’s current or recent struggles.28,29Among traumatic stressors, sexual assault has one of the highest rates of subsequent PTSD development.30 From a psychological standpoint, it seems plausible that in some instances, sexual trauma may facilitate vulnerability to gender dysphoria. Given that psychiatry is a tremendously complex field in which it is important to avoid traps of dichotomous thinking, it is prudent to carefully consider the totality of individual patient’s circumstances. Therefore, it seems inflexible to never explore whether trauma and/or PTSD related symptoms in a patient with such a history might be related to avoidance of reminders of their prior gender identity. This is particularly the case where the individual experiences their previous gender identity as distressing or unpleasant. Certainly, the unique backgrounds and variety of transgender individuals indicate that the clinical interview must adapt and take into account the diverse experiences of this heterogenous group. In turn, this may hopefully add to the research base and further improve guidelines for assessment, treatment, and documentation.”

www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/trauma-and-transition-trajectories-the-risk-of-caenisian-reversion

Not empirical of course but this article struck me as a likely example of this

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/jun/10/elliot-page-juno-hollywoods-dark-side-coming-out-twice

This is only really commentary but might of background interest genspect.org/gender-identity-through-the-lens-of-developmental-trauma/

I have not rewatched it, but I think Jenn Smith mentioned some statistics. The figures might have been on children in care, who are of course all traumatised.

Eg
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10914351/

It's not going to be possible I would imagine to break apart the hologram. I look at a child with a history of trauma and a trans identity and I see them in that order (that a trans identity is a coping strategy, more or less maladaptive). Someone else looks at a trans child with a history of trauma and sees them in that order (that being trans means people abuse you). Even I wouldn't try to deny that children with trans identities definitely get abused and bullied, and once in a blue moon murdered.

Found this;
www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2022/04/81999/

No problem.

Side note, iactuslly got banned last week from a childfree forum discussion about tockophobia for basically just sharing my experience as above. Nothing disrespectful. Just pointing out my experience.

Because how dare I point out that many young women may be going through similar and instead of getting the correct treatment for them, being told their discomfort is gender dysphoria.

Meaningful discussions that may help others, are being silenced for fear of upsetting the minority of radical activists unfortunately.