What is Gender Dysphoria?
Gender identity disorder or Gender Dysphoria is a deep sense of unease and distress due to a mismatch in your biological sex and gender identity.
This is a condition of emotional distress due to differences between gender identity (sex identity) and physical appearance.
For example:
A person is assigned female sex at birth but has a deep inner sense of being a male and vice-versa. This mismatch can cause severe discomfort, depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions in some people.
This can occur at any point in life, from childhood to adulthood. People with gender dysphoria might experience severe emotional and psychological distress if they cannot express their experienced gender and do not receive the support and acceptance they need.
How Do People with Gender Dysphoria Look or Feel Like?
People with gender dysphoria might experience a marked difference between internal gender identity and assigned gender at birth that lasts for at least six months or more.
- A difference in secondary sex characteristics like breast size, voice, facial hair, and overall appearance.
- A strong desire to have genitals or primary sex characteristics.
Other symptoms include:
- A strong dislike for one’s sexual anatomy
- A strong desire to hide the physical signs of one’s biological sex
- A strong preference for cross-dressing or cross-gender roles
- A strong preference for mates of the other gender
Most people with gender dysphoria experience intense and complex emotions that affect the person’s social life. This includes anxiety, depression, isolation from social life, and an urge to self-harm.
You might experience gender dysphoria in childhood, adolescence, at the time of puberty, or much later in life.
Causes of Gender Dysphoria
- Psychiatric causes and biological causes
- Genetic causes of biological sex
- Hormonal causes
- Exposure to progesterone or other estrogenic drugs
Diagnosis of Gender Dysphoria
Behavioral health evaluation: Your doctor will evaluate your primary and secondary sex characteristics to confirm the presence of gender dysphoria.
DSM-5: Your doctor checks the criteria for gender dysphoria listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
Some people express their feelings to their parents or doctor. Some might show symptoms of a mood disorder, anxiety, or depression. Some might experience social and lifestyle problems.
Treatment Options Available for Gender Dysphoria
The goal of the treatment for gender dysphoria is to help gain peace of mind.
- Expressing your preferred gender identity (Gender Expression)
Undergoing medical or surgical therapies (Gender affirmation surgery)
Consulting a doctor can help you explore your options.
Gender Expression
Expressing the preferred gender identity includes behaviors and actions that help you achieve your identity.
- Changing your name and identity
- Dressing in a manner that’s more masculine, feminine, or gender-neutral
- Make aesthetic changes
- Other medical treatments
Gender affirmation surgery
Surgery enables permanent changes that are more consistent with your preferred gender.
Top surgery: Procedures to add breast tissue in trans women and remove it in trans men.
Bottom surgery: Transform and reconstruct the genitals associated with gender identity.
Facial procedures: Facial feminization surgery and facial masculinization surgery.
Treatment Options for Children and Adolescents with Gender Dysphoria
- Start therapy right away to explore the reasons behind the negative feelings.
- Puberty suppression in adolescence may delay changes such as breast development or facial hair growth.
- Hormonal therapies can start at 16 years, and surgery is best for people >18 years or older.
Mental Health Therapy for Gender Dysphoria
- Addressing the negative feelings experienced by the person
- Learn coping skills and different ways of thinking
- Medications to help gain better control of anxiety or depression.
- Patient Education and Family Counselling
Supporting People with Gender Dysphoria
Support is vital in helping people with gender dysphoria navigate life challenges.
- Participate in transgender support programs
- Help them to learn from the experiences of other people
- Help them face challenges like bullying or discrimination
- Help them find comfortable, healthy ways to express their identity
The most important thing is to consult a doctor to support their overall well-being.
Is gender dysphoria a mental illness?
Gender dysphoria is not a mental illness.
It can be described as uneasiness or discomfort due to the mismatch between the experiencing gender and the assigned sex at birth.
However, some unpleasant feelings accompany gender dysphoria-
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Substance abuse
It may lead to worsening mood issues and further complicate the individuals’ problems when not addressed.
