What is Gender Dysphoria?

[Mariya]

Gender dysphoria is a condition characterized by a marked and persistent incongruence between an individual's gender identity and their assigned sex at birth. It refers to the distress or discomfort that arises from this incongruence. People with gender dysphoria may experience a strong and persistent desire to be of a different gender than their assigned sex.

Individuals with gender dysphoria often have a deeply held sense of their true gender, which may be different from the sex assigned to them at birth based on physical characteristics. They may experience significant distress due to the conflict between their gender identity and their assigned gender role in society.

The symptoms of gender dysphoria can vary widely and may include:

A strong desire to be treated as the gender with which one identifies.
A persistent desire to be rid of one's primary and/or secondary sex characteristics and a desire for the physical characteristics of the gender with which one identifies.
A strong conviction that one has the typical feelings and reactions of the gender with which one identifies.
Discomfort or distress related to the incongruence between one's gender identity and assigned sex.
Distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning as a result of the gender incongruence.

 

[arunima]

Gender Dysphoria is a tough situation that people struggle with. It becomes even more challenging with teenage and growing adults when biological changes occur due to the natural growth process and your body shows changes according to the biological sex that one is born with. But the mental and psychological identity does not align with it. This can lead to a feeling of disgust in the person. Teenage is also a time when people deal with sexual and gender identity. It's a tough phase as such. One can go through many turbulence in social conditions too. Such youths and teens need a lot of emotional support from friends and family around.

 

[Ravenfreak]

As someone who is trans I deal with gender dysphoria from time to time and it's not fun. Thankfully my confidence is better since I've been medically transitioning for almost five years now. I still can't afford to get top surgery and so my large chest gets me down quite often. It also hinders my ability to pass at times, which isn't fun and causes more stress. This is why gender affirming care is necessary and removing this healthcare causes so much pain and stress for trans people of all ages.