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[–]loveSloaneDebate King 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Idk the best way to word this, but i wonder if maybe all of the examples you gave wouldn’t be indicative of some type of mental health issue, even if not a specific mental illness?

Meaning the woman/girl who wants to transition to avoid misogyny: maybe she doesn’t have dysphoria or actually "identify as a male/man", but maybe she has some type of trauma or PTSD or something? Otherwise why go to such lengths when there are less extreme routes?

The people who think it would be fun or silly- idk. It just seems hard to believe that anyone mentally sound would think that being trans is fun or silly lol

I do think some people claim to be trans or some part of thaw TQ+ as a way to find a community for themselves or to feel special- and maybe loneliness/low self esteem aren’t mental illnesses but they certainly take a toll on overall mental health. And again, anyone going to the extreme of transition to gain a sense of community or feel special about themselves doesn’t come across as mentally healthy lol

I also think it’s "trendy" and in people’s faces more than ever. I think mentally impressionable or vulnerable people (particularly, it seems, adolescents and people on the spectrum-the autism spectrum to be clear, etc) are also the ones that seem to be identifying as trans a lot more lately. I don’t know that I think that’s mental illness so much as impressionable/vulnerable minds getting sucked into something they don’t fully understand.

Like even if there’s not a mental illness to diagnose, there’s still people dealing with homophobia (internal and external) that transition- Im exhausted and actually forgot where I was going with this lmao but basically I guess I just can’t think of a scenario where someone would transition or want to transition without there being some factor heavily impacting their mental health- aside from impressionable and or vulnerable people who are influenced or find some sort of comfort or something from identifying with the trans community. Although- not every adolescent or autistic person who is exposed to (no negative connotation intended) to trans ideology finds an identity within it or even agrees with it, so what’s going on in the lives of the ones who do? Maybe there’s no commonality, maybe there is? Idk.

I know my comment maybe seems like I disagree but I think I agree? Idk. I had a point to make but it lost me. But since I already typed all of this, here ya go lol

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Sorry to be so slow to respond, ugh what a week...

You know, I think that's a really good overall point (I think I got what you were getting at! Or I'm telling myself so lol), like even reasons that don't appear directly related to a specific mental health issue are reasons borne of psychological distress or dysfunction. Maybe incomplete understanding is like the one unifying reason not necessarily due to mental dysfunction or distress, like you mention about impressionable and vulnerable populations.

Maybe this will seem like I'm reversing what I said (and maybe I am) but if it isn't borne of mental illness, but rather just erroneous and ill-informed conclusions, then would it ever become a mental illness? Or at what point would it become a mental illness?

Like being a child or adolescent who makes that sort of conclusion, and it's not derived from mental illness but ignorance, then would it only become a mental illness if the child or adolescent eventually learned the truth but still felt the way they felt, just because that's all they knew? I suppose it's a psychological dysfunction of some kind still, right?

Sorry, I'm asking way more questions than answering!! I just originally thought the answer was more clear, but you and others bring up a lot of good points making me reevaluate how I am seeing things. So I'm really glad you shared everything you typed, thank you! 😉

[–]loveSloaneDebate King 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I feel like the point where an adult commits to transition is when it becomes a mental illness? Like once someone explains biology and reality and you refuse to accept it or you do accept it but still choose to transition- you’ve chosen to step past reality and fact to transition or you are so dysphoric that despite accepting the truth you still know you need to transition?

(To be clear- there is no judgment or anything when I say mental illness, it’s just the wording that feels accurate to me)

As far as the kids stuff- it seems like child abuse to not properly inform kids about biology and what it really means to transition. Idk if for children it’s mental illness or "programming" (that sounds so conspiracy tin foil of me lol). I don’t mean intentionally programming but it’s being pushed and spread so much that it feels like programming for lack of a better word. Like if you instill in a kid that gender identity is real and you may have to transition because of yours, are they mentally ill or are they brain washed?

I didn’t word this well because I wanted to reply before the day got away from me lol.