How to Identify Gender Dysphoria
Understand the terminology and the reasoning behind it., Look for signs in childhood: Children with Gender Dysphoria will oftentimes assert that they are the opposite gender from the one they were assigned, play with toys generally associated with...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Understand the terminology and the reasoning behind it.
The DSM-5 diagnoses those “whose gender at birth is contrary to the one they identify with” as having gender dysphoria, not the previously-used Gender Identity Disorder.This move away from the term Gender Identity Disorder is meant to reduce stigma surrounding those with non-conforming gender behavior by omitting the word ‘disorder’, as it tends to characterize people as ‘wrong’.
In this article, the new Gender Dysphoria will be used instead of Gender Identity Disorder. -
Step 2: Look for signs in childhood: Children with Gender Dysphoria will oftentimes assert that they are the opposite gender from the one they were assigned
In order to be diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria, four of the following criteria must be manifest:
A repeated desire to be the other sex or an assertion that they are the other sex A preference for female clothing or other objects to mimic femininity in "boys" and an insistence for wearing traditionally masculine clothing in "girls" Assuming the role of the opposite sex in fantasy games or make-believe An intense desire to participate in the games typical of the other sex (such as boys playing with Barbie and girls playing contact sports) A preference for playmates of the opposite sex , Around 10 or 12 years old, many individuals are at risk of much of their transitional behavior of Gender Dysphoria (acting or living as the opposite gender at home or in public) slowing or stopping due to family and societal pressures to conform to conventional gender roles.However, for adolescents who do not receive a diagnosis and support in childhood, gender dysphoria may be accompanied with the following behaviors:
Feelings of panic concerning puberty and bodily changes, as these are manifestations of a biological sex that the adolescent does not identity with Increased bullying at school due to differences in acting out one’s perceived gender Isolation from peers due to lack of connection or fear of bullying Depression and/or anxiety as a result of confusion over gender identity or not fitting in with peers , Often, gender dysphoria goes unnoticed until adulthood due to the learned gender behaviors that are taught to both children and adolescents by their family and peers.
In order to be diagnosed with gender dysphoria, the DSM-5 requires adults to experience the following:
There must be a difference between the sex at birth and the gender the individual expresses or experiences The identification with an alternate gender must continue for at least six months The individual may have a strong desire to be treated as the opposite gender The individual may want to remove their sex characteristics The individual feels that they act in ways typical of the opposite sex , The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) has laid out three possible treatments for children with gender dysphoria and their parents:
Counseling and social transition (in which the child adopts a non-legal name that corresponds to their perceived gender and can enact their perceived gender freely) Following WPATH guidelines and subsequently adding hormonal treatment to block puberty “Reparative-like” therapy that rejects the biological gender (this option is not supported by WPATH guidelines, but consists of rewards for certain gender behaviors and punishments for others).
This may lead to mental health problems and suicide., Sessions with a therapist can help the teen accept or adapt to their perceived gender, as well as help them through any psychological side effects, such as depression, anxiety, and peer disapproval.
Other options for treatment include:
Hormone blockers, which, taken early enough, can dull the effects of puberty, allowing the body to develop without maturing sex characteristics Cross-hormone therapy (estrogen for girls assigned male at birth and testosterone for boys assigned female at birth) to stimulate the puberty of the perceived sex ,, If your diagnosis was made by an official who was able to medically diagnose you with Gender Dysphoria, they will be able to give you references to counselors or doctors to continue treatment.
The type of treatment you opt to accept is completely up to you; many people with gender dysphoria accept hormonal or medical treatment that can alter the appearance in differing ways, though not all choose to accept full sex-reassignment.
Your gender preference may not be male or female, but somewhere in between or completely outside of the binary, and there are options available to help you achieve the physical aspects of what you believe your gender should look like. Additionally, many with gender dysphoria opt out of hormonal and surgical treatments and choose to attend regular visits with a therapist or counselor in order to discover more about themselves and cope with living as their non-assigned gender. Many treatments depend on what type of (if any) medical insurance you have, and many people with gender dysphoria choose to not pursue any kind of treatment after diagnosis. , If your diagnosis was not made by an official, or if you are self-diagnosed, your medical options are limited.
However, therapy or counseling is always an option (assuming you have the means of access). If you are unable to access therapy or counseling, it can be recommended that you attempt to discover more about your preferred gender and find ways of enacting that gender in your everyday life.
When you are in a safe place, enacting your preferred gender can be freeing and validating, and will help you understand yourself better and live a happier life. , Many of them have experienced what you are going through now, and can offer advice and support. , ‘Coming out’ to your friends and family is completely optional.
If you feel unsafe coming out, do not do so.
However, having a support group can be helpful in getting an official diagnosis, validating your gender identity, and living your preferred lifestyle. Asking friends and family to refer to you using your preferred gender and personal pronouns can be a validating experience and help to shape your gender identity.
After coming out to friends and family, you will be more able to enact your preferred gender through dress, mannerisms, and other personal habits in a free space. -
Step 3: play with toys generally associated with this gender
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Step 4: dress according to this gender
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Step 5: and have idols of this gender.
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Step 6: Identify signs in adolescence.
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Step 7: Recognize signs in adulthood.
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Step 8: Consider the options for children.
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Step 9: Look at the options during adolescence: Because adolescence is a time of change and emotional upheaval for all – cisgender and transgender – the most recommended form of treatment is therapy.
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Step 10: Consider the options during adulthood: The American Psychiatric Association recommends treating adults with gender dysphoria with psychiatry
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Step 11: because these professionals “often the primary role in the diagnosis and treatment of the major mental illnesses in which gender identity concerns may arise as epiphenomena (e.g.
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Step 12: psychotic disorders) as well as in the pharmacological management of psychiatric disorders that may coexist with Gender Dysphoria (e.g.
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Step 13: mood and anxiety disorders)
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Step 14: and in monitoring symptoms that may emerge with endocrine manipulation”.In addition to therapy
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Step 15: treatments for those who diagnose their Gender Dysphoria in adulthood are:Legal name change which reflects the preferred gender of the individual.Engagement in cross-gender behavior intermittently
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Step 16: such as in the privacy of the home Sex-reassignment surgery and/or hormone therapy (which can be expensive and invasive but is the most permanent solution)
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Step 17: Reflect on the references/options suggested if you've been officially diagnosed.
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Step 18: Consider counseling even if your diagnosis hasn't been done officially.
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Step 19: Network with the LGBTQIA+ community
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Step 20: particularly the transgender community.
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Step 21: Come out
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Step 22: if you want to.
Detailed Guide
The DSM-5 diagnoses those “whose gender at birth is contrary to the one they identify with” as having gender dysphoria, not the previously-used Gender Identity Disorder.This move away from the term Gender Identity Disorder is meant to reduce stigma surrounding those with non-conforming gender behavior by omitting the word ‘disorder’, as it tends to characterize people as ‘wrong’.
In this article, the new Gender Dysphoria will be used instead of Gender Identity Disorder.
In order to be diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria, four of the following criteria must be manifest:
A repeated desire to be the other sex or an assertion that they are the other sex A preference for female clothing or other objects to mimic femininity in "boys" and an insistence for wearing traditionally masculine clothing in "girls" Assuming the role of the opposite sex in fantasy games or make-believe An intense desire to participate in the games typical of the other sex (such as boys playing with Barbie and girls playing contact sports) A preference for playmates of the opposite sex , Around 10 or 12 years old, many individuals are at risk of much of their transitional behavior of Gender Dysphoria (acting or living as the opposite gender at home or in public) slowing or stopping due to family and societal pressures to conform to conventional gender roles.However, for adolescents who do not receive a diagnosis and support in childhood, gender dysphoria may be accompanied with the following behaviors:
Feelings of panic concerning puberty and bodily changes, as these are manifestations of a biological sex that the adolescent does not identity with Increased bullying at school due to differences in acting out one’s perceived gender Isolation from peers due to lack of connection or fear of bullying Depression and/or anxiety as a result of confusion over gender identity or not fitting in with peers , Often, gender dysphoria goes unnoticed until adulthood due to the learned gender behaviors that are taught to both children and adolescents by their family and peers.
In order to be diagnosed with gender dysphoria, the DSM-5 requires adults to experience the following:
There must be a difference between the sex at birth and the gender the individual expresses or experiences The identification with an alternate gender must continue for at least six months The individual may have a strong desire to be treated as the opposite gender The individual may want to remove their sex characteristics The individual feels that they act in ways typical of the opposite sex , The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) has laid out three possible treatments for children with gender dysphoria and their parents:
Counseling and social transition (in which the child adopts a non-legal name that corresponds to their perceived gender and can enact their perceived gender freely) Following WPATH guidelines and subsequently adding hormonal treatment to block puberty “Reparative-like” therapy that rejects the biological gender (this option is not supported by WPATH guidelines, but consists of rewards for certain gender behaviors and punishments for others).
This may lead to mental health problems and suicide., Sessions with a therapist can help the teen accept or adapt to their perceived gender, as well as help them through any psychological side effects, such as depression, anxiety, and peer disapproval.
Other options for treatment include:
Hormone blockers, which, taken early enough, can dull the effects of puberty, allowing the body to develop without maturing sex characteristics Cross-hormone therapy (estrogen for girls assigned male at birth and testosterone for boys assigned female at birth) to stimulate the puberty of the perceived sex ,, If your diagnosis was made by an official who was able to medically diagnose you with Gender Dysphoria, they will be able to give you references to counselors or doctors to continue treatment.
The type of treatment you opt to accept is completely up to you; many people with gender dysphoria accept hormonal or medical treatment that can alter the appearance in differing ways, though not all choose to accept full sex-reassignment.
Your gender preference may not be male or female, but somewhere in between or completely outside of the binary, and there are options available to help you achieve the physical aspects of what you believe your gender should look like. Additionally, many with gender dysphoria opt out of hormonal and surgical treatments and choose to attend regular visits with a therapist or counselor in order to discover more about themselves and cope with living as their non-assigned gender. Many treatments depend on what type of (if any) medical insurance you have, and many people with gender dysphoria choose to not pursue any kind of treatment after diagnosis. , If your diagnosis was not made by an official, or if you are self-diagnosed, your medical options are limited.
However, therapy or counseling is always an option (assuming you have the means of access). If you are unable to access therapy or counseling, it can be recommended that you attempt to discover more about your preferred gender and find ways of enacting that gender in your everyday life.
When you are in a safe place, enacting your preferred gender can be freeing and validating, and will help you understand yourself better and live a happier life. , Many of them have experienced what you are going through now, and can offer advice and support. , ‘Coming out’ to your friends and family is completely optional.
If you feel unsafe coming out, do not do so.
However, having a support group can be helpful in getting an official diagnosis, validating your gender identity, and living your preferred lifestyle. Asking friends and family to refer to you using your preferred gender and personal pronouns can be a validating experience and help to shape your gender identity.
After coming out to friends and family, you will be more able to enact your preferred gender through dress, mannerisms, and other personal habits in a free space.
About the Author
Dorothy Murphy
Creates helpful guides on crafts to inspire and educate readers.
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