Difficulties associated with gender dysphoria However, many young people with gender dysphoria also experience mental health concerns. In younger children, this is often in the form of emotional and behavioural difficulties. For teenagers, there are higher rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicide attempts.
strong preference for playmates of the other gender. strong rejection of toys, games and activities typical of their assigned gender. strong dislike of their sexual anatomy. strong desire for the physical sex characteristics that match their experienced gender.
If gender dysphoria impairs the ability to function at school or at work, the result may be school dropout or unemployment. Relationship difficulties are common. Anxiety, depression, self-harm, eating disorders, substance misuse and other problems can occur.
The emotional pain and distress of gender dysphoria can interfere with school, work, social life, religious practice, or other areas of life. People with gender dysphoria may become anxious, depressed, and in many cases, even suicidal.
Left untreated, gender dysphoria can lead to severe emotional and psychological distress. Gender dysphoria can lead to other mental health challenges, including: Anxiety. Depression, sadness or a sense of loss.
Transgender women have a higher risk of venous thromboembolism, stroke and meningioma compared to cisgender men and cisgender women. Compared to cisgender men, transgender women have a higher risk of breast cancer and transgender women > 50 years old have a higher risk of fractures.
A recent study investigated the volume of grey matter in individuals with GD and found that they had a smaller volume in the left posterior superior hemisphere of the cerebellum compared to male controls and a smaller volume of the right inferior orbitofrontal cortex compared to female controls.
The exact causes of gender dysphoria are not entirely understood, but several factors may play a role. Genetics, hormonal influences during prenatal development, and environmental factors may be involved. The onset of gender dysphoria is often during early childhood.
Causes of gender dysphoria
Occasionally, the hormones that trigger the development of biological sex may not work properly on the brain, reproductive organs and genitals, causing differences between them. This may be caused by: additional hormones in the mother's system – possibly as a result of taking medication.
Gender identity typically develops in stages: Around age two: Children become conscious of the physical differences between boys and girls. Before their third birthday: Most children can easily label themselves as either a boy or a girl. By age four: Most children have a stable sense of their gender identity.
You may feel: certain that your gender identity conflicts with your biological sex. comfortable only when in the gender role of your preferred gender identity (may include non-binary) a strong desire to hide or be rid of physical signs of your biological sex, such as breasts or facial hair.
Studies conducted on twins suggest that there are likely genetic causes of gender incongruence, although the precise genes involved are not known or fully understood.
In studies from different jurisdictions using general samples of adolescents, rates were found to be higher among youth than among adults, with 1.2% to 4.1% of adolescents reporting a gender identity different from that assigned at birth.
The rate of GD among children has been estimated at less than 1 percent. According to the DSM-5, for individuals assigned male at birth, approximately 0.005 percent to 0.014 percent are later diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
Studies suggest that gender dysphoria may have biological causes associated with the development of gender identity before birth. More research is needed before the causes of gender dysphoria can be fully understood.
Gender dysphoria means someone feels the body they were born into doesn't reflect their true self or who they are or identify with in terms of their gender. Body dysmorphia is a disorder that results in someone perceiving a major flaw or problem with their own body, even if that perception is not based in reality.
Signs of gender dysphoria can be present in childhood or may not appear until after puberty.
Various types of dysphoria include rejection sensitive dysphoria, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and gender dysphoria.
Hormone therapy for adults
It's important to remember that hormone therapy is only one of the treatments for gender dysphoria. Others include voice therapy and psychological support. The decision to have hormone therapy will be taken after a discussion between you and your clinic team.
Gender dysphoria is a term that describes a sense of unease that a person may have because of a mismatch between their biological sex and their gender identity. This sense of unease or dissatisfaction may be so intense it can lead to depression and anxiety and have a harmful impact on daily life.
A review of the current literature demonstrates comorbidity between gender dysphoria and psychosis, including cases of gender dysphoria with schizophrenia and the occurrence of gender dysphoria symptoms during manic or psychotic episodes.
The stages are shock, anger, acceptance and commitment. People's initial reaction to the change will likely be shock or denial as they refuse to accept that change is happening. Once the reality sinks in and people accept the change is happening, they tend to react negatively.
Further, a retrospective analysis of records from an adolescent community health center found that transgender patients were significantly more likely to have a depression diagnosis (51%), anxiety diagnosis (27%), and engaged in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI; 17%), suicide ideation (31%), and attempted suicide (17%) ...
Transitioning is a personal decision specific to the individual, so how a person goes about transitioning can change over time and vary from person to person. There are three main types of transitions someone could go through: social, legal, and physical.