"Gender" Dysphoria Is A Mental Illness.

[TruscumTeen]

I want to start this off by saying that I am transsexual, and that I am in no way intending to offend people - I merely wish to explain why it is extremely important to acknowledge this fact.

For a long time now I have been reading threads from this talk topic. I used to be somewhat of a very politically correct SJW, however I had my eyes opened by these threads (thank you all for that, by the way).

I find it completely and utterly absurd that stating biological facts is now considered "transphobic", and that people actually accept the self-identification of people declaring themselves as trans. I am extremely aware that I am biologically female, and that I always will be. I strongly, strongly disagree with self-identification, and with the idea that transgenderism is not the result of a mental illness.

So, firstly, a definition:
Mental illness = a condition which causes serious disorder in a person's behaviour or thinking.
Now, in the title I put the word "gender" in quotations. This is because transsexuals like myself experience SEX dysphoria - not dysphoria of a social construct.
So, SEX dysphoria causes extreme discomfort and distress. It can lead to other mental illnesses such as eating disorders, depression, anxiety and suicidality. It results in people wanting to mutilate their own bodies. SEX dysphoria literally fits the definition of a mental illness.

Just a quick "rant": We all find it atrocious when people say things like "oh, I'm so OCD"; "you are skinny, so obviously are anorexic", or when people self-diagnose themselves with mental illnesses. So why do people find it acceptable in this case? I see it all the time: "I want short hair, so I'm gender dysphoric"; "I love wearing make up - I must have gender dysphoria". It totally makes a mockery of people who actually have SEX dysphoria, who face a continous struggle against themselves.

Now on to why this fact is important:

If we declasssify SEX dysphoria as a mental illness, we face the inevitability of widespread self-identification. There are so many problems with this (I'll just mention a few):

As many of you will know, there have been documented cases where males self-identify as women and go on to abuse females in supposedly "safe spaces". None of these abusers will have dysphoria, yet are considered "trans" - disagree and you are a bigot.

Males can self-identify as women and threaten lesbians into sleeping with them. This is downright disgusting, and is a real problem.

Declasssifying it will mean removing the treatments (hormones, surgery) from the NHS, having a disastrous, detrimental affect on transsexuals - such as myself -who experience debilitating SEX dysphoria. We cannot afford tens of thousands of pounds in order to alleviate the symptoms of our mental illness. This will lead to a huge increase in transsexual suicides (REAL suicides, not the debunked, skewed current claims), which will be hidden and overlooked due to shouts of a "progressive society" from transactivists and transtrenders.

This is just a relatively brief overview of why acknowledging dysphoria as a mental illness is important. I apologise for the rambling, inarticulate and probably incoherent nature of my post. I am more than happy to answer questions/debate if that is what people wish (though probably tomorrow as I am tired). I just wanted to vocalise my views, as there is a minority of us genuine transsexuals in the "community" who are constantly berated and insulted for stating facts.

Also, to every woman posting in Feminism Chat - I agree with you wholeheartedly and stand with you.

Thank you for your post.

You have a real insight into your condition and into all the dangers that come along with self-ID.

What age are you? You write really well.

Many gender critical women here are concerned that it will become impossible for transexual people to get treatment on the NHS under the new rules.
Personally, I feel this is one of the end goals of self ID. I don't want to see anyone having to crowd fund their medical treatment, its inhumane.

Thank you for posting.

Popchyk I am 16 years old. I have suffered from dysphoria for years, and over this period I have been able to educate myself enough to see through quite a lot of what is being said at the moment. And thank you

Crow I'm glad that gender critical women and transsexual people are able to stand together to oppose the current toxic climate. And I agree, I also see it is rather inhumane.

If anyone replies after this, I apologise but I will have to respond tomorrow. I hope my post has been somewhat useful.

Off to bed, kid, you have school tomorrow!

(That's meant in a friendly big sisterly way, before any of our angry lurkers start shrieking.)

You're right and one concern I have about people in your situation is that if dysphoria is no longer classified as a mental illness then why would the NHS be willing to pay to treat it? I mean, the Tories are cutting funding everywhere they can, why would anyone assume they wouldn't eventually go after funding for treatment for dysphoria too? Most of the people who want to be able to self-ID don't need access to that treatment, so of course they don't care, but I wouldn't be happy to see their selfishness result in treatment for people who actually need it being cut.

Very eloquent post.

Chances are TT has just completed their GCSES and therefore is off school...yay!

I support you wholeheartedly and have many of the same concerns. I believe that there are many more teenagers who feel the same and are too scared to say so. Both of my children support their trans friends - but they both understand the importance of biology. I think most kids do.

I hope you do all you can to educate your friends and that your mental health condition is recognised and treated appropriately.

Kittens Haha, thank you but I finished school a couple of weeks ago! And yes, my concerns exactly.

remember Thank you Yes, I've done my best to educate people about all of the issues surrounding this topic. My friends are also able to see through the blatant misogyny of transactivists, and disagree with self-identification too.

Hi TruscumTeen. Very unusual and useful to have your perspective. Thanks!

Are we all sure it's gender (sex) dysphoria that activists are clamouring to be completely de-medicalised?

And not 'being trans'? (Transgenderism).

Transgenderisim not being dependent on any diagnosis makes sense for the self id proponents (chancers, non dysphoric indiciduals, cross dressers).

But campaigning to completely demedicalise gender dysphoria would mean no more hormones/boob jobs. TRAs aren't stupid, far from it.

Theresa May said 'transgenderism isn't a mental illness' not gender dysphoria.

I understand there is a move to declassify from mental illness to medical condition, but not to dilute it to the extent where there's no treatment?

Is that right?

Hi Datun

I'm not sure exactly what the movement as a whole is attempting to achieve, as within the "community" there appears to be a vast array of differing objectives.

At the moment, being able to self-identify means that transsexuals are by default grouped with "trans" people who do not experience dysphoria. A lot of people seem reluctant to differentiate between the groups.

The fact that TRA (many of whom don't opt for hormones/surgery) want it declassified is incredibly worrying, because if people don't see it as an illness then it will be viewed as not requiring treatment.

Also, I see being transsexual as pretty much synonymous with experiencing sex dysphoria. So, for many of us, when May stated that "transgenderism is not a mental illness", it created quite a bit of angst as to whether treatment is going to remain on the NHS (as we've seen recently, many procedures have been removed unless strict criteria is met).

I think, regardless of May's intention with that statement, it is worrying. We cannot glamorise or appropriate transsexuality as, if we continue to, more problems (like those associated with self-id) will arise.

Thank you for your post, and it is not incoherent at all.

I was explaining to a friend recently that I have history of both body dysmorphia and GNC, and how scared I am for girls like me who may now be herded towards being trans. Wish I'd had your post to refer to then, being an even closer example of how current activism is having a negative effect.

If it helps - while not the same I know - my own dysmorphia has improved with age :)

Like homosexualty, gender dysphoria is no longer a mental illness by most medical authorities. The World Health Organisation, the NHS and the APA have changed their guidance, and it's likely the DSM will follow. It is recognised as a medical condition, one that can be treated by transition to the gender the person knows they are. That is not always the best option, but it usually is. So, declassifying it will improve access to the best treatment, not remove it.

Thank you Raggy.

Yes, the current social encouragement of GNC, lesbian and body dysmorphic young people to transition is quite astounding, not to mention dangerous.

That's good to hear I've always wanted to not experience dysphoria, and if there's ever a chance that I could live without medical intervention then I would. If ever in the future I can do this, then I will. For now though, it seems treatment is necessary for myself.

Thank you for all the lovely replies.

DadJoke You cannot compare homosexuality to transsexuality. Being gay was wrongly considered a mental illness. Transsexuality is wrongly being declassified as one. If it isn't an illness, why does it require treatment?
"the gender the person knows they are" - nope. This is a false claim repeated by transactivist and transtrenders. No transsexual I have ever encountered has "known" they are anything - we are repulsed by our secondary sex characteristics and wish to alter our bodies accordingly. We can't and don't ignore our biology.
If you read my OP, you'd see that this is not my only concern about declassification. Refusing to acknowledge dysphoria as a mental condition will have disastrous effects on wider society, not just transsexuals. Nothing good, from what I can see, will come from declasssifying dysphoria as an illness.

Well this is interesting.

Way to go, TruscumTeen. I like you.

TruscumTeen

It's very brave of you to come on here. You're so young. I don't mean that to sound condescending, so forgive me if it does.

I sincerely hope that your condition improves.

Good perspective and I had not considered the idea that supporting declassifying sex dysphoria as a mental illness might be part of a Tory Cunning Plan to remove funding for the treatment from the nhs. Thanks for sharing.

Good thread OP. It’s heartening to hear from you. Too many sensible, knowledgeable and concerned voices are drowned out by the shouts of ‘tranphobe’ and no one is actually listening to the words spoken.

Keep on speaking up. 😊

Haha thanks Lang

Thank you Datun. It doesn't sound condescending at all. And thank you, so do I.

Thank you Ann, and yes, I agree.

You are right that for transsexual people it is sex dysphoria.

And gender (sex) dysphoria is already not classified as a mental illness - and rightly so.

The distinction between transsexual people and other trans people is something many here seem to struggle to grasp. To my mind trans women are the female subset of transsexual people - and that is the usual definition.

I agree we want to restrict GRCs to trans men, trans women and intersex people and not make them generally available to all trans people. I don't agree, however, that means Self-ID is not possible, not least because I think anyone wanting to abuse Self-ID could easily get a diagnosis of gender dysphoria anyway - or could Self-ID elsewhere and use the overseas track.

Personally I think we should resurrect s27 (the original so-called fast track) by removing the sunset clauses in s27(1), (3). Then delete s27(4) and in the final sentence of 27(3) change "six" to "one" and change six to five in 27(4)c

I think that's all it takes. It leaves the existing standard track but adds a backstop of Self-ID after 5 years. I really don't think anyone wanting to use the provision improperly would wait 5 years, but that provides a backstop if people can't show evidence of diagnosis by the right doctor (eg immigrants and ex pats) and provides an easy route for intersex people. Adding a shortcut on surgery, and not requiring a diagnosis of gender dysphoria when someone has had surgery, allows transsexuals a simpler path.

I think Self-ID should be available as an option but it should be the slowest route of a range of alternatives and should require evidence of having already lived as a man / woman (as the case may be) for several years.

TruScum It is a medical condition for which a number of treatments are available, the most succesful being transition. It is not a mental illness. When I say "it is not a mental illlness" I mean the expert bodies which decide whether conditions are mental illnesses have declassified it. You think that's wrong, but it's still the case. If you think the WHO, the APA and soon the DSM are transactivists, you are welcome to your view, but it strikes me as a conspiracy theory.

Homosexuals used to be "treated" for their "mental illness," too, and there are still many people who think homosexuality is a pathology. Thankfully, that is changing, as is the attitude to gender dysphoria. When your views on transgender issues are hand-in-hand with anti-abortion right-wingers who support restricted rights for women, and oppressve gender norms, then it's worth reconsidering your views.

DadJoke

You don't think that men who claim they are biological women are delusional? Ie have a mental illness.

In any event, the definition of medical condition still includes mental illness:

injury; any physiologic, mental or psychological condition or disorder (e.g., orthopaedic; visual, speech or hearing impairments; cerebral palsy; epilepsy; muscular dystrophy; multiple sclerosis; cancer; coronary artery disease; diabetes; mental retardation; emotional or mental illness; specific learning disabilities; HIV disease; TB; drug addiction; alcoholism). A biological or psychological state which is within the range of normal human variation is not a medical condition. "

Which one of those do you think should apply to gender dysphoria?

I think you'd have trouble arguing that people who want to cut off their healthy body parts are 'within the range of normal human variation'.

Of course, if you're talking about men who get their kicks from wearing women's clothes, then absolutely I wouldn't call that a mental health condition. I would however, call it a fetish.

What kind of a medical condition is it if it isn't a mental illness for goddesses' sakes?