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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Is being trans a 'disease'/mental health issue?

443 replies

SolveMyPrombles · 26/06/2026 20:05

I'm asking on this board for deliberate considered responses so please do share your thoughts.

A lady on a local group has described being trans as a mental illness that should be treated with compassion not pandered to because it's a disease.

Looking into it more deeply I believe she's wrong and there is no current diagnostic manual that agrees with her take.

What do you think?

OP posts:
BridgetPhillipsonIsACowardlyJobsworth · Yesterday 13:06

SolveMyPrombles · Yesterday 12:59

They are. Lots of evangelising and terrorism in the name of conversion to other faiths and the destruction of those who are different or no faith.

But there is no general, worldwide consensus that elected officials and governments should openly collude in said terrorism or evangelism, or the destruction you mention. However, we see regular occurrences of governmental collusion in transactivism even here in the UK. Things are even worse in Germany, Australia, and a lot of the US.

Seethlaw · Yesterday 13:08

murasaki · Yesterday 12:53

Which seems (and forgive me if I'm wrong here) to be sort of what Seethlaw's position is, they are happier with the way their body and external appearance look now and more comfortable that it matches to a certain extent how they feel, but doesn't seek external validation, it's about internal contentment, or as close as any of us can get to that.

Well, it just seems like the only way to live happily to me, you know? Depending on constant external validation seems to me to be a guaranteed way to be miserable, both in the moments when you're actively not getting that validation, and the rest of the time when you're fearing the next time you won't get it. That's self-imposed torture to me.

I'd much rather adjust my expectations so that I totally expect frequent clocking by random strangers I interact with, and moments when I have to discuss the reality of my female biology (with a doctor, for example), and so on. I've reached the point that when someone clocks me, and then notices the beard and starts to excuse themselves, I can just smile and go, "No worries", and then completely forget about it, and yes, I'm happy with that.

I just don't understand not wanting to reach such a peaceful place, and instead expecting the world to always reach your expectations - and obviously never being satisfied.

murasaki · Yesterday 13:13

BridgetPhillipsonIsACowardlyJobsworth · Yesterday 13:06

But there is no general, worldwide consensus that elected officials and governments should openly collude in said terrorism or evangelism, or the destruction you mention. However, we see regular occurrences of governmental collusion in transactivism even here in the UK. Things are even worse in Germany, Australia, and a lot of the US.

And no one is trying to control one's religious beliefs or lack of then in a work environment to the same way as they are with gender identity.

SolveMyPrombles · Yesterday 13:16

Seethlaw · Yesterday 01:22

Ah yes, those well-known rational people who think that it's perfectly natural and logical for people to inflict medical damage on their healthy bodies. The epitome of Reason indeed.

But people pierce their bodies and tattoo them. Is that mental illness? If we modify the body we are born into either that way or via plastic surgery etc. is anyone that does it not rational?

OP posts:
murasaki · Yesterday 13:16

Seethlaw · Yesterday 13:08

Well, it just seems like the only way to live happily to me, you know? Depending on constant external validation seems to me to be a guaranteed way to be miserable, both in the moments when you're actively not getting that validation, and the rest of the time when you're fearing the next time you won't get it. That's self-imposed torture to me.

I'd much rather adjust my expectations so that I totally expect frequent clocking by random strangers I interact with, and moments when I have to discuss the reality of my female biology (with a doctor, for example), and so on. I've reached the point that when someone clocks me, and then notices the beard and starts to excuse themselves, I can just smile and go, "No worries", and then completely forget about it, and yes, I'm happy with that.

I just don't understand not wanting to reach such a peaceful place, and instead expecting the world to always reach your expectations - and obviously never being satisfied.

Definitely, and I am happy for you!

SolveMyPrombles · Yesterday 13:21

IwantToRetire · Yesterday 02:01

I'm beginning to wonder whether the OP question is as niave as it might seem on first reading, or whether it is another or the now endless threads started to take up time with getting FWRers to repeat what most of us know, so that as a whole FWR just becomes ground hog day instead of moving forward.

Naive. I've never heard of trans being described as a mental illness so I wanted to ask on a board that would give me both perspectives, policed respectfully (I see lots of posts have been deleted by MN before I got to read them and I'm happy about that so I don't waste time on disrespectful responses) and help me with my thinking on the subject.

OP posts:
CornishDaughteroftheDawn · Yesterday 13:22

hahabahbag · 26/06/2026 20:11

I think it’s like being gay, you just are, my dh’s nephew knew he felt differently as a little girl, didn’t know what it was then, long before the current “trend” and transitioned 15 years ago

That doesn’t account for the people that think they are but are not. Sadly only discovering their mistake after harming their health and having surgery.

dh’s nephew knew he felt differently as a little girl

In what way did she feel ‘different’?

ThatZanyFatball · Yesterday 13:23

Octavia64 · Yesterday 08:48

Ok so to clarify this.

the diagnosis I was given subsequent to this was CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome).

essentially I was in an accident and my foot was smashed up and operated on and then in a cast for six months.

this caused major physical damage to my foot (obviously) including broken bones, severed ligaments and muscles and nerve damage.

now what is interesting here is the level at which “belief” operates.

as my foot basically was sending pretty much no sensation to my brain my brain at a level underneath the conscious level essentially re-organised the perception centres of my brain.

i (consciously) believed I had a foot because I could see it. But when the plaster came off I had no motor control (couldn’t move it) and no sensation (couldn’t feel anything).

it took a couple of years of physio and slow work on motor imagery to recover some motor control and some sensation,

now in our current way of splitting things normally we don’t say things like strokes are mental illnesses even though they affect the brain and the mind.
a stroke literally cuts of blood supply and kills part of the brain, but people after stroke can by physio and speech therapy etc relearn the skills that they lost when that part of the brain was damaged.

in the same way I’m not diagnosed with a mental illness because I lost motor and sensation in my foot - this is considered a neurological thing ie to do with the functioning of the nerves and brain.

equally, if someone loses a limb in an accident, their brain has developed motor control and sensation experiences for the limb and often people experience sensation in alimb that is not there anymore. This is known as phantom limb pain. Again, this is not considered a mental illness largely because it’s the brain not being able to adapt very well to a new bodily reality - it’s considered neurological.

you can get psychological therapy for stuff like CRPS and phantom limb syndrome but it focuses on changing the inputs into the brain so that the brain is able to re-organise itself - so my CRPS therapy was imagining moving my foot.

not the sort of talking about childhood/CBT stuff which is generally advised to mental health.

"you can get psychological therapy for stuff like CRPS and phantom limb syndrome but it focuses on changing the inputs into the brain so that the brain is able to re-organise itself - so my CRPS therapy was imagining moving my foot."

Interesting. Now explain why you got this therapy as a healthy way to help your brain understand your physical reality but somehow encouraging someone who's brain thinks they're the opposite sex is conversion therapy.

nevernotmaybe · Yesterday 13:26

BridgetPhillipsonIsACowardlyJobsworth · Yesterday 13:06

But there is no general, worldwide consensus that elected officials and governments should openly collude in said terrorism or evangelism, or the destruction you mention. However, we see regular occurrences of governmental collusion in transactivism even here in the UK. Things are even worse in Germany, Australia, and a lot of the US.

So you are also against all and anything along these lines for race issues and rights, gender issues for women of any kind and rights, all LGBTQ issues and rights?

Or just the one you have an issue with? Is that the test, if you agree its OK if not its wrong?

CornishDaughteroftheDawn · Yesterday 13:27

SolveMyPrombles · Yesterday 13:16

But people pierce their bodies and tattoo them. Is that mental illness? If we modify the body we are born into either that way or via plastic surgery etc. is anyone that does it not rational?

But generally tattooing and piercing doesn’t degrade the skeleton, cause various organs to atrophy and cause infertility.

Putting some decorative (and often fairly reversible) additions on your body is not the same as rejecting the reality of your actual sex and ruining your health in an attempt to fool people into thinking you are the opposite sex.

That also applies for ‘non binary’ people. The trans activist narrative seems to be quietly trying to forget the claims of the ‘non binaries’. Are they no longer convenient to the discussion?

Seethlaw · Yesterday 13:27

SolveMyPrombles · Yesterday 13:16

But people pierce their bodies and tattoo them. Is that mental illness? If we modify the body we are born into either that way or via plastic surgery etc. is anyone that does it not rational?

Piercing and tattoos are extremely superficial, not deep-reaching like hormones and sex-related surgeries. Plastic surgery comes a lot closer, but even then the comparison doesn't hold. While I can see making a parallel between, for example, breast enlargement and elective double mastectomies (and even then there are significant differences), there's nothing comparable in plastic surgery to genital surgeries, which leave people with a wound needing constant care, or heavy scarring and a non-functional and unaesthetic lump.

SolveMyPrombles · Yesterday 13:37

BridgetPhillipsonIsACowardlyJobsworth · Yesterday 13:06

But there is no general, worldwide consensus that elected officials and governments should openly collude in said terrorism or evangelism, or the destruction you mention. However, we see regular occurrences of governmental collusion in transactivism even here in the UK. Things are even worse in Germany, Australia, and a lot of the US.

I mean the King is head of the Church of England and the Pope is the head of the Vatican City country so there are multiple examples of religion and power being used throughout history to encourage more people to be a certain religion. Crusades, missionaries, colonialism etc.

OP posts:
murasaki · Yesterday 13:38

Seethlaw · Yesterday 13:27

Piercing and tattoos are extremely superficial, not deep-reaching like hormones and sex-related surgeries. Plastic surgery comes a lot closer, but even then the comparison doesn't hold. While I can see making a parallel between, for example, breast enlargement and elective double mastectomies (and even then there are significant differences), there's nothing comparable in plastic surgery to genital surgeries, which leave people with a wound needing constant care, or heavy scarring and a non-functional and unaesthetic lump.

And often urinary issues, no fun for anyone.

CornishDaughteroftheDawn · Yesterday 13:38

BridgetPhillipsonIsACowardlyJobsworth · Yesterday 11:20

Why do we never get to read an argument on one of these threads between an activist who insists that there are only three choices and another activist who insists that there are 72 genders? That would be worth staying up until 3am for!

Gosh, only 72 now - only a few years ago the BBC were confidently proclaiming that there are over 100 genders!

What happened to the 29+ that are missing? Is this shrinkflation? Will we be down to 50 in another few years? Where did they go? Do rare genders die out and go extinct?

Why are so few trans activists talking about the non binaries now? Are they going extinct too?

So many questions.

SolveMyPrombles · Yesterday 13:41

CornishDaughteroftheDawn · Yesterday 13:27

But generally tattooing and piercing doesn’t degrade the skeleton, cause various organs to atrophy and cause infertility.

Putting some decorative (and often fairly reversible) additions on your body is not the same as rejecting the reality of your actual sex and ruining your health in an attempt to fool people into thinking you are the opposite sex.

That also applies for ‘non binary’ people. The trans activist narrative seems to be quietly trying to forget the claims of the ‘non binaries’. Are they no longer convenient to the discussion?

But the degree doesn't matter. If the issue is modifying the body, then circumcision, amputation etc all count. The skin is the largest organ. Heavily tattooed people have changed a higher percentage by surface area of organs in their body than a trans person.

OP posts:
murasaki · Yesterday 13:43

SolveMyPrombles · Yesterday 13:41

But the degree doesn't matter. If the issue is modifying the body, then circumcision, amputation etc all count. The skin is the largest organ. Heavily tattooed people have changed a higher percentage by surface area of organs in their body than a trans person.

No, the issue is the health conditions that having unnecessary surgery leads to. They are far more serious for taking hormones you don't need, and surgery you don't need, than for putting a hole through your ear or dye in your skin.

Seethlaw · Yesterday 13:45

SolveMyPrombles · Yesterday 13:41

But the degree doesn't matter. If the issue is modifying the body, then circumcision, amputation etc all count. The skin is the largest organ. Heavily tattooed people have changed a higher percentage by surface area of organs in their body than a trans person.

Not quite. If the trans person is taking hormones, then 100% of their body is impacted.

And the degree does matter. Just like first degree burn is not third degree burn, so tattooing is not gender-related surgeries.

WearyLady · Yesterday 13:48

And there’s no comparison between piercing and tattooing and gender reassignment surgery and hormone treatment. I don’t believe anyone needs to take medication to maintain their piercings and tattoos regardless of how much of their body has been modified.

CornishDaughteroftheDawn · Yesterday 13:48

nevernotmaybe · Yesterday 13:26

So you are also against all and anything along these lines for race issues and rights, gender issues for women of any kind and rights, all LGBTQ issues and rights?

Or just the one you have an issue with? Is that the test, if you agree its OK if not its wrong?

all LGBTQ issues and rights

What do you see as LGBTQ issues and rights? LGB wanted (and have achieved) equal marriage rights and protections against discrimination.

What else are you looking for?

PenelopeJoanSterling · Yesterday 13:52

SolveMyPrombles · Yesterday 13:16

But people pierce their bodies and tattoo them. Is that mental illness? If we modify the body we are born into either that way or via plastic surgery etc. is anyone that does it not rational?

can you explain which is more dangerous to the human body a piercing or tattoo, or choping hacking and cutting whole body parts off ?

PenelopeJoanSterling · Yesterday 13:54

WearyLady · Yesterday 13:48

And there’s no comparison between piercing and tattooing and gender reassignment surgery and hormone treatment. I don’t believe anyone needs to take medication to maintain their piercings and tattoos regardless of how much of their body has been modified.

to follow your point why if chopping body parts off to believe your x. then why does the body need hormone treatment ?

BridgetPhillipsonIsACowardlyJobsworth · Yesterday 13:56

nevernotmaybe · Yesterday 13:26

So you are also against all and anything along these lines for race issues and rights, gender issues for women of any kind and rights, all LGBTQ issues and rights?

Or just the one you have an issue with? Is that the test, if you agree its OK if not its wrong?

I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but I'll explain a bit more, then perhaps if that doesn't answer your question, you can respond? I will assume you have posted in good faith.

As I see it, the transactivism that has embedded itself in the UK in schools, the NHS, public sector organizations, private sector companies, social organizations, etc., and which has been encouraged, supported, and fought for through the courts by governments (Scottish Government, anyone?), does in itself work to remove rights from women and girls, parents, healthcare workers, lesbians (and to a lesser extent gay men), and generally anyone who won't bow down to the Great Gender God and its ideology.

This ideology seeks to remove dignity and privacy rights from women and girls; remove the rights of parents to know what their children are being taught in schools; the rights of medics to be able to treat patients without fear and confusion over misgendering and needing to know someone's biological sex; the rights of lesbians (and gay men) to associate with only those of their own sex, etc.

Lumping gays, lesbians, and bisexuals together with the TQ+. etc., is disingenuous and wrong. The first tranche is about sexual attraction. The second is about identity.

Disabled people can sometimes be disadvantaged by transactivism, e.g. the first toilets to be taken (now that trans-identified men have had it made clear to them that using the women's toilets is, and always has been, unlawful) seems likely to be accessible/universal toilets that disabled people and their carers need. Transactivism in employment situations has also resulted in a lot of money for "trans" issues that could have been spent on improving disabled people's ability to work.

Trans-identified people already have all the rights that everyone else has. What the activists are demanding are the rights that already belong to other people, especially women and girls. This is what government, charities, schools, the NHS, civil service, etc., have been colluding in.

Not sure why you brought race into this, but you either genuinely want to talk about that, or it's the usual "gotcha.". But, people who are disadvantaged by other people's views of their race also have rights.

I think you know all this already, because someone would already have told you, but just in case you haven't heard any of it before, there you go.

If you are going to respond, please don't do the activist "I'll pick one thing I understand and run with that" answer. I have responded to you in good faith, and in the round, as it were, so I would expect you to do likewise. If you don't, you won't get any further response from me.

Seethlaw · Yesterday 14:03

nevernotmaybe · Yesterday 13:26

So you are also against all and anything along these lines for race issues and rights, gender issues for women of any kind and rights, all LGBTQ issues and rights?

Or just the one you have an issue with? Is that the test, if you agree its OK if not its wrong?

Unlike people of colour, women, and LGB people, T people are not an oppressed minority in the UK and other similar countries. As such, other than the right to not be discriminated against should they choose to socially transition, they don't need other rights or special laws to be created for them - and especially not privileges that would walk all over women's or LGB's rights.

Theunchosenone · Yesterday 14:08

SolveMyPrombles · Yesterday 13:41

But the degree doesn't matter. If the issue is modifying the body, then circumcision, amputation etc all count. The skin is the largest organ. Heavily tattooed people have changed a higher percentage by surface area of organs in their body than a trans person.

If you get a tattoo, there’s no risk of needing lifelong medical interventions. If you transition, you become dependent on medicine for the rest of your life. Funny how a lot of the people encouraging “transition” are doctors isn’t it?

CornishDaughteroftheDawn · Yesterday 14:10

SolveMyPrombles · Yesterday 13:41

But the degree doesn't matter. If the issue is modifying the body, then circumcision, amputation etc all count. The skin is the largest organ. Heavily tattooed people have changed a higher percentage by surface area of organs in their body than a trans person.

But people pierce their bodies and tattoo them. Is that mental illness? If we modify the body we are born into either that way or via plastic surgery etc. is anyone that does it not rational?

You asked if tattooing and piercing is mental illness in a similar way though. People tattoo and pierce to decorate their bodies. That is not the same as demanding the whole of society adjust its rules and deny the reality of their own eyes and pretend they think you’ve changed sex. Which, Seethlaw excepted, is the typical level of demand.

Heavily tattooed people have changed a higher percentage by surface area of organs in their body than a trans person.

That is an odd and inaccurate claim. Cross sex hormones affect every part of the body including the skin. The brain, pituitary and liver are particularly impacted in attempting to process and excrete the excess wrong sex hormones. In females the ovaries, uterus and vagina start to atrophy painfully to the extent that removal can become essential, incontinence is an increasing observed affliction and in men the gonads shrivel and cause severe pain.

Also females often remove their healthy breasts causing damage to nerves and inability to breastfeed. Some girls were doing this whether they were identifying as a man or ‘non binary’ (somewhat bizarrely).

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