DiscussionHow to support LGB youth who have gender dysphoria

submitted by reluctant_commenter from self.LGBDropTheT

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[–]HelloMomo 7 insightful - 1 fun7 insightful - 0 fun8 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

Sometimes people talk about "gender dysphoria" (uncomfortable with the social aspects) and "sex dysphoria" (uncomfortable with your physical body) as interrelated but distinct things. When I was like 14, I had what I think could be called sex dysphoria, although not gender dysphoria. I've more or less gender conforming, but I really hated my body after puberty, felt out-of-place in it, felt like it wasn't mine. Basically this was just a reaction to puberty (of course if your body up and changes on you without your permission you're gonna be uncomfortable and ill at ease in it for a while). I don't know how much my experience had in common with "usual experiences" of dysphoria, but given that I was exposed to trans ideas and stuff, I played with the idea of a non-binary identity around that time.

The other big part of it was anorexia. Ultimately I stopped because I thought anorexia was something "stupid straight girls did because they want to look like barbie" and that was so not me. If I had known how common disordered eating is in trans populations, I probably would've gone full steam ahead with that.

The paradox is that on a societal level, ignoring this problem that plagues many isn't a good approach, but on an individual level, ignoring it/not obsessing about it is probably the thing that helps most.

[–]les4leshomonormative 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

The paradox is that on a societal level, ignoring this problem that plagues many isn't a good approach, but on an individual level, ignoring it/not obsessing about it is probably the thing that helps most.

This is a great way to put it. Because nobody talks about the discomfort so many young people have in their bodies, they feel abnormal, which I think is why a lot of them end up obsessing over it or taking it to extremes once they find others who suffer the same way

[–]reluctant_commenter[S] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Hey, I meant to respond to this the other day but I REALLY appreciate your comment! I agree that it's important to distinguish between "gender dysphoria" and "sex dysphoria". In fact, I feel like I have experienced "sex dysphoria" myself but never really related to the whole idea of "gender dysphoria", at least how trans-rights activists describe it, anyway.

Completely agree @ anorexia, as well. I have not read the research literature on it myself, yet, but-- maybe it is even worth its own post, eating disorders and transgender identification.

The paradox is that on a societal level, ignoring this problem that plagues many isn't a good approach, but on an individual level, ignoring it/not obsessing about it is probably the thing that helps most.

This is a fantastic observation. I will be mulling this one over for a while. :)