Gender Dysphoria

Kidd and Witten define the term transgender vaguely, stating it “describe[s] people who transcend the conventional boundaries of gender, irrespective of physical status or sexual orientation” (Kidd & Witten, 2007, p. 36). This term is a reference for the ‘other gender’ that is not particularly male or female. Currently, within the American society, there is a growing awareness of individuals who are transgender. Much of this awareness comes from LGBT movements and

Kristen A. Burgess, Emory University School of Medicine and Charles F Gillespie M.D., PhD, department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, state that “gender identity disorder is a mental disorder in which gender identity is incongruent with anatomical sex”. Individuals experience different degrees of unhappiness with their sex at birth, which in turn causes them to pursue the life and body of the opposite sex (2010).

In a world moving advancing with near instantaneous publication worldwide the fringe edges of society have become more visible. One group of people that has had the spotlight shined on them is those suffering from gender dysphoria–persons who are not comfortable living in the bodies that they are born with and are often referred to as transsexual. As of 2010, there was an estimated population of less than 1,000 of these fringe members of our society incarcerated in state and federal facilities. (Brown)

Scholars have been critical of the medical establishment’s and state’s involvement in constructing and policing of transgender identity. These kinds of pressing issues have occupied the small existing literature. There is not much information and studying what is being done on transgender in traditional areas, family studies research, such as their dating behavior and formation of intimate relationships in adulthood. There is little research on the issues around being parents, their children’s experiences with having transgendered parents, as well as relationships in the family as a whole, and relationships in work and school.

Gender dysphoria, formerly referred to as gender identity disorder by Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders by American Psychiatric Association 4th edition and earlier (American Psychiatric Association 2013; gender dysphoria fact sheet.pdf), is marked by irreconcilable differences in one’s biologically expressed gender and the preference for a cross-gender identity (American Psychiatric Association 2000; asset_upload_file155_30369.pdf). It is expressed as a varying level of discomfort living as a gender they do not identify themselves with, and may be distressing enough to undergo a gender reassignment surgery. The preoperational period – change of clothing, name and hormone therapy – which often precede such surgery, has had mixed results, with some reverting back to their biological gender, and others who move onto gender reassignment surgery stage (Green, R 2007; 1-s2.0-S1476179306005568-main.pdf).

Gender Dysphoria, formerly known as Gender Identity Disorder, is described by the DSM-IV as a persistent and strong cross-gender identification and a persistent unease with ones sex. However, gender identity is not diagnosed as such if it is comorbid with a physical intersex condition. Gender dysphoria is not to be confused with sexual orientation, as people with gender dysphoria could be attracted to men, women, or both.

With so many different terms, it is hard to keep up with the language and understanding of the complex idea of Gender Identity Disorder. If “sex” is a biological term, and “gender” is a sociological term, and “gender identity” is

While gender dysphoria is not necessarily a mental illness in itself, more than 71% of people with gender dysphoria develop another mood disorder in their lifetime, such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, and/or suicidal thoughts (WebMD). Children are especially affected, and according to the American Psychiatric Association, many adolescents find themselves alone and rejected, and are oftentimes unable to shower or wear a bathing suit. Many even undertake self-harm behaviors. The significant distress caused by dysphoria must persist for 2 years for a diagnosis to be made and treatment to begin. Treatment usually includes a social and physical transition into the gender the patient feels that they are. A social transition almost always includes correct bathroom

Gender dysphoria is described in the DSM-V as a marked incongruence in someone’s experienced or expressed gender and their assigned gender. A diagnosis of gender dysphoria in children requires the client to meet at least six criterions for duration of time lasting at least 6 months and it is necessary that presence of these criterions significantly distress or impair the client in social, school, or personal life. These criterions include a strong desire to be the other gender or an insistence that they are the other gender, a strong preference for cross-dressing or preference for wearing clothing of the other gender, a strong preference for playing the other gender role in fantasy or make-believe play, strong preference to play or interact

Feeling discomfort with one’s assigned gender has been something talked about in the mental health industry for many years. Gender Identity Disorders (GID) is when an individual finds conflict between their own gender and the gender he or she identifies as. Gender dysphoria is a condition of GID, in which ones’ emotional and psychological identity is opposite of one’s biological sex. Gender dysphoric children and adolescents are vulnerable to many forms of emotional distress such as depression. Children and adolescents experiencing this condition can have a troublesome time due to the lack of awareness there is to the existing information of this disorder. There are many risk factors that research says contributes to those who struggle with

Since the world has come more and more tolerant of others and world views change, so do the conservations about how much is too much. Enter the child and todays subject. But before we get into the meat of the conversation, just what is gender dysphoria. Gender dysphoria is being uncomfortable feeling wrong about their body they are born in, and seek to change that (personify attitudes, dress and possibly stereotypes). There is more to it that that such as clinical proof of distress but that’s the most general of general overviews.

Transgenderism, or gender dysphoria, is an area of medicine, which has been studied to some degree, yet remains vague as to pathophysiology and potentiating factors. There are, however, various hypotheses that have recently surfaced including sexual differentiation and sexual dimorphism of the brain. However, the evidence is insufficient to base the validity of these concepts. 8,5 Although the cause has yet to be fully understood, the diagnosis of gender variant individuals has changed drastically in the past 35 years, as aforementioned. In terms of diagnosis, clinicians utilize APA’s diagnostic criteria found in the current edition of DSM as well as International Classification of Diseases 10 (ICD-10). According to DSM-V, gender dysphoria is distress associated with an incongruence of assigned sex and expression of gender, which causes interference with social functionality. Currently, gender identity disorder is defined in ICD 10 (diagnosis code F64.1) as at least two years of a strong cross-sex identification usually accompanied by strong desire to medically transition one’s body to the expressed gender. 5

Living a life feeling out of place, with the wrong feelings, and in the wrong body, for a person with Gender Identity Disorder, this is how they feel day to day. According to the DSM-IV-TR, Gender Identity Disorder is characterized by a strong, persistent cross-gender identification, persistent discomfort with his or her sex or sense of inappropriateness in their gender role of that sex. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), children, adolescents and adults who exhibit a preoccupation with getting rid of or losing their primary and secondary sex characteristics, associated with different mannerisms and actions of the opposite sex; while holding a belief that he or she was born the wrong sex are believed to be classified

The APA argued that according to the analytical and statistical guide of mental disorders, those who go through complex gender incongruence are normally given the name ''gender dysphoria.” Ariel Williams, who is writer-artist and also a transgender person, concurs with this argument saying that some people explain the diagnosis inappropriately as pathologies gender non-congruence and that it should be removed. He goes ahead to say that there are convinced that it is an essential to hold on the diagnosis to ensure easy accessibility to care. He identifies the international classification of diseases (ICD) in undergoing revision and changes might occur to the current classification of stubborn, persistent incongruence

Sex and gender are both very complex issues. Just as any other issue, transgenderism has many different theories about the cause and why people feel detached from their biological sex. There are possible culture, biological, medical and or psychological theories. “There are a number of theories about why transgender people exist although there is not yet scientific consensus” (National Center for Transgender Equality [NCTE], 2009). Culture plays a really big role in what is acceptable in society and what individuals believe what is normal and what is a true illness. The NCTE (2009) states that cultures have created specific ways for one to live in a role that is different from that