Gender Dysphoria is also known as Gender Identity Disorder and is a condition in which a man or woman feels a strong identification of themselves with the opposite sex.
An individual with this disorder often feels great discomfort with regard to the anatomical structure of their sex itself.
People with gender dysfunction act and express themselves as members of a cross-gender group, and may harbour a desire to change their body’s appearance.
This disorder affects the personal image of the individual and influences the individual’s style, behaviour and attire.
Individuals who make changes to their appearance using cosmetics, hormones, or surgeries are called trans-sexuals.
What causes Gender Dysphoria?
The cause of gender disorder is still unknown, but there are some suppositions that suggest the cause of this disorder may due to:
• Abnormal genetics (chromosomal).
• Hormonal imbalances in the course of the development of pregnancy or during childhood.
• Lack of parenting and social connections.
• A combination of all of these elements.
How common is Gender Dysphoria?
This disorder is more common in men than in women.
Estimates range from 0.005% to 0.014% for men and 0.002% to 0.003% for women based on current diagnostic criteria.
If Gender Dysphoria is not detected and treated, the tendency to be one from the opposite sex will become stronger, the patient will reject the sex of his or her body and want to undergo a sex change surgery.
Gender Dysphoria is a rare disorder that affects children and adults. The fact is, most people realise they have pre-teen gender prepositional problems.
Children with Gender Dysphoria often exhibit the following symptoms:
• A strong desire to become the opposite sex (including considering themselves as another person and calling themselves by another name).
• Fear of their breasts growing and the onset of menstruation. Many girls also resort to covering their breasts in such a way as to hide its appearance.
• Belief that when they become adults, they will become the other sex.
• Sadness at facing disapproval from peer groups.
• Tendency to wear costumes and ape the typical behaviour of other people (for example, girls in men’s underwear).
• Withdrawal from social interactions and activities.
• Feelings of isolation, depression and anxiety.
Adults with Gender Dysphoria often exhibit the following symptoms:
• Desire to live like a person of another gender.
• Desire to leave his genitals.
• Desire to wear costumes and ape the typical behaviour of other people.
• Withdrawal from social interactions and activities.
• Feelings of isolation, depression and anxiety.
Treatment
Many people believe the best treatment for those with Gender Dysphoria is sex change surgery so they are able to live as an individual of the sex they desire.
However, others belief that transgenderism is a psychiatric disorder that requires treatment, and that sex reversal is actually “biologically impossible”.
Legitimate advocates of transgender surgery believe that patients with mental disorders are self-destroying their bodies when they should be receiving psychological treatment instead.
Sex reversal surgery is not a solution for those with Gender Dysphoria.
Accordingly, treatment for Gender Dysphoria should be focused on detecting early sexual dysfunction in childhood, so that psychological treatment can be administered in the hope that patients gain a sense of self-acceptance.
This article first appeared in hellodoktor.com. It was reviewed by Dr Duyen Le. The Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.