I’d say what tras refer to as “conversion therapy” but is actually... therapy. Mental illnesses are not easy to treat, trans people have to be willing to let themselves be treated, even if (maybe even especially if) it’s really hard for them. I can’t think of very many trans people that only have dysphoria. It seems like there’s almost always a host of other mental issues that need to be sorted out and dealt with, and I’ve always wondered what the outcome would be for most people who “transition” if the other mental health concerns are addressed and treated before dysphoria is.

Also, shitty as it is to say, most people with mental conditions have to learn to manage it. Like- it’s not easy, and I’m sure it gets incredibly difficult for many, but the reality is that most people with mental disorders/illnesses/whatever word it’s currently pc to use just have to figure out how to manage it. Altering the physical is not treatment- it’s a band aid. And I can’t think of any other treatment for mental illness that demands so much from other people, while allowing the patient to ignore reality. Transition feeds the mental issues, even if it alleviates the distress. That’s why I said what I said about trans people needing to be able to acknowledge that they aren’t really transitioning into anything significantly different. If you transition and people still call you a man or use male pronouns and that triggers you- have you really been treated? If you can’t be open about being trans even when you know it’s safe- have you really been treated? If you need to insist that you are in fact the opposite sex (man and woman are sexed terms- not gendered)- have you really been treated? If you need to cling to debunked pseudoscience- have you really been treated? If you transition and don’t pass and or you still aren’t satisfied with your body- have you really been treated? Transition at best helps alleviate distress over your body, but doesn’t seem to do much else unless you’re lucky enough to pass, and if you pass- there’s still all those questions I asked. Honestly the more I listen to and engage with trans people, it’s hard for me to see them as people who have truly been treated for any mental issues (obligatory not all trans- though honestly only peaking and one other person come to mind when I think of exceptions), it seems to me that for many, transition brings on a lot of other issues and reinforces the idea that they are a woman/man, which just isn’t true. It’s a faulty treatment at best that wasn’t even developed with your best interest in mind, and it seems like this narrative of “anything other than ‘mones and or surgery is just transphobic” is harmful to many dysphoric people, and means that more effective and healthy treatment is not being explored enough.

There’s a reason the suicide rates don’t drop post transition.