Overview
Overview – Gender Dysphoria
Gender Dysphoria is new terminology. (It has been referred to as Gender Identity Disorder, Gender Incongruence, or Transgenderism.) It describes a condition where a person believes there is a mismatch between their assigned gender and who they really are. Gender Dysphoria is characterized by discomfort or distress due to a mismatch between the person’s biological sex assigned at birth and the person’s own perception of their appropriate gender. Meaning that what their brain tells them about who they are innately, does not match the gender assigned to them at birth. Gender Dysphoria has no known physical symptoms. Individuals with this condition, however, may experience and display a range of characteristic feelings and behaviors.
The initial condition for the identification of Gender Dysphoria in both adults and teenagers is a noticeable incongruence between the gender the patients believe themselves to be, and who society perceives them to be.
The specific cause of Gender Dysphoria is unknown. As with other conditions, it likely is a spectrum or continuum. Genes, hormones during gestation, social factors, and environmental factors (e.g., parenting) all may be contributors. Individuals who are born with ambiguous genitalia, which can raise questions about their gender, may develop Gender Dysphoria—especially if the arbitrary assignment of gender at birth does not match brain and biology. Interestingly, Gender Dysphoria is frequently seen in children, though many children do not end up with Gender Dysphoria in adulthood. It is important to recognize that not all transgender or gender diverse people experience dysphoria.
Gender Dysphoria is not identical to nor synonymous with homosexuality. Each individual goes through a unique change. Some may want a short-term change and be content with cross-dressing. Others may desire a complete change and seek gender assignment surgery. It is also important to realize that all transsexuals are not the same, and thus are not part of a uniform group.
Gender Dysphoria presents Information on four types of dysphoria, one type each day for four days. These are:
- Gender Dysphoria in Children
- Gender Dysphoria in Adolescents and Adults
- Gender Dysphoria Other Specified
- Gender Dysphoria Unspecified
On the fifth day, the Team reviews each of the four types of dysphoria, helping you to fix the information in your memory and to reaffirm the strategies for dealing with each type. Typically, the average person needs to review information three or four times to move it from short-term memory into long-term memory.
