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Gender Dysphoria
Leah Wrisley
PSYC:430 Abnormal Psychology
Liberty University
Professor Cindy Bremer
June 19th, 2022
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Introduction
Gender Dsyphoria in today’s terms is a wide known condition among the transgender
community. Anybody can have body dsymorphia but only those that are transgender are
diagnosed with body dsyphoria. Gender dsyphoria is a condition that transgender people go
through if they do not relate to what gender they are at that time. Meaning, if they were born a
female and wanted to identify as a man they would hate looking at themselves because they have
female features. Same issue as for a male wanting to identify as a female but still male parts. The
term gender originally arose based on the biological aspect of not only being born but what
society portrays as those roles in life. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(5th ed.; DSM–5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) States, Gender dysphoria refers to
the distress that may accompany the incongruence between one’s experienced or expressed
gender and one’s assigned gender. Their minds and bodies are at a constant state of tension. This
tension can lead to other mental disabilities such as depression which leads to suicidal thoughts
that may want to free them from their horrid reality. Others are aware of the dsyphoira and try to
work through it by wearing different types of clothes, acting more feminine or masculine. Even
though some transgender people try their best to cover up their biological bodies they are still
reminded of the discomfort their natural bodies put them through. For instance Trans women
might get a horrid reminder of their “natural” bodies by having a period once a month. Most of
them do not like to talk about those occurrences. They do not want people to perceive them as
female. Gender dsyphoria can happen as a kid, teen and adult; the dsyphoria is not related to a
certain age, it can happen for those that are young and trying to figure out their selves. The
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM–5; American Psychiatric
Association, 2013) Although not all individuals will experience distress as a result of such
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incongruence, many are distressed if the desired physical interventions by means of hormones
and/or surgery are not available. In order to diagnose gender dsyphoria there are certain criteria
that needs to be evaluated before making a decision and there are three categories kids, teens and
adults. For kids to be diagnosed with gender dsyphoria they would need to be within 6 months of
time they realized their natural gender and wanting gender do not mix. The strong need to have
different toys, clothes, and taking on roles of that gender. Lastly is having trouble at school and
social gatherings. As for teens to be diagnosed with gender dsyphoria some of the same
conditions that are with kids apply to teens, but the only differences are teens have a strong
desire to be treated like the gender they want to be and they also have strong convictions of
feeling for the opposite gender they don’t want to be. Teens with gender dsyphoria are aware of
what they want and how they want to be treated and seen as. The same conditions apply for
adults that are facing gender dsyphoria. With adults that are dealing with gender dsyphoria the
only difference maybe going all the way to the full transition of being the opposite gender. That
is usually done by surgery or doing some sort of hormone treatment. In general gender dsyphoria
can happen at different age ranges and have certain classifications and conditions that make
dsyphoria real mental illness.
Historical
As we know thus far gender dsyphoria was also known as Gender identity disorder, as
classified by the DMS-5 its current classification is gender dsyphoria. Gender dsyphoria has been
seen in many people with various age ranges. Gender dsyphoria was thought up by mental health
professionals and is based on surgical and endocrine system. Although they don’t categorize at a
straight mental health disorder, it fall under mental anguish. Gender dsyphoria was first present
in the 1980’s by the DSM-5, at that time it was called the identity disorder. (Bryant 2019) which
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comprised “Transsexuality,” “Gender Identity Disorder of Childhood,” and “Transvestic
Fetishism.” Which means these three diagnoses drew attention to the medical and psychiatric
side of health care. This was even dated by to the 19th century with people know as sexologist.
(Bryant 2019) Their increased interest was primarily directed at the newly emerging medical and
social category of transsexuality. This begins the whole idea of being transgender. Of course
being noticed in the 19th and 20th century things weren’t all depicted quite yet, it wasn’t until
1994 the DSM-5 came out with a revision which combined transsexualism and gender identity of
childhood and that was known as gender identity disorder. (Bryant 2019) DSM-5 further revised
the diagnosis, which was renamed “gender dysphoria” and given its own chapter distinct from
“Sexual Dysfunctions and Paraphilic Disorders.” Now in 21st century people are more open to
being gay or bisexual and even transgender. You now have programs and communities for
people of the LGBTQ+ group to go and interact with people of their age and identity. There are a
lot of programs out there that help cope with disabilities brought on being gay or transgendered.
There is also a good amount of mental instabilities that the LGBTQ+ face and having gender
dsyphoria is a still a major issue.
Cause of Illness
The cause of illness can happen at any age range, whether being a kid, teen, or adult.
(Springer 2021) Gender incongruence (GI) is defined as a condition in which the gender identity
of a person does not align with the gender assigned at birth. Coming to terms that you are not
meant to be that specific gender you were born with and trying to change it is the number
symptom of having gender dsyphoria. (Bauer, Lawson, Metzger 2021) In 2018, a phenomenon
of rapid onset gender dysphoria was hypothesized as a distinct pathway involving social
contagion among youth vulnerable due to mental or neurodevelopmental disorders. What this
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means is that in today’s world it is very easy to see who Trans is and who it developing an idea
based on what they see on social media and through social interactions. True Trans people do not
want to be seen as Trans as that opposite gender they are trying to achieve. In this particular case
it leaves some major room for parental questions. (Bauer, Lawson, Metzger 2021) This
discussion has occurred primarily in the context of data from a single online parental survey.
Parents go online in this study and ask questions and voce their thoughts opinions regarding
gender dsyphoria. The data was highly methodological and very controversial it need to have
more additional research done. That being said the strong rapid onset of gender dsyphoria is
highly profound among the youth. (Bauer, Lawson, Metzger 2021) Gender dysphoria emerging
at or after puberty, socially influenced through peer contagion, and with contributing factors
including poor mental health, neurodevelopmental disabilities, parent-child conflict, and
maladaptive coping strategies. The cause of gender dsyphoria can come from many avenues, it’s
not clear on what, who, and when it will set off this condition. (Bauer, Lawson, Metzger 2021)
Adolescents with more recent gender knowledge suggests the potential for longstanding
experiences of gender dysphoria (or their social complications) playing a role in development of
anxiety, which could also be explored in future research. That being said the youth today are
aware of dsyphoria than those of previous generations. With having gender dsyphoria it can lead
to other disabilities such as anxiety and depression. With future research on the condition it
might be able to pinpoint where in the exact moment dsyphoria takes place.
Treatment
In current day there is a couple of treatment option for Trans people to take, one of them
is complete surgery of the genital area. Or the second option is Cross-Sex Hormonal Treatment,
or also known as CHT for short. This treatment helps those trying to transition into the other
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gender do so by giving them the different hormones needing by that gender. (Fisher 2018)
Findings from these individual studies showed higher quality of life and better psychological and
psychosocial adjustment for individuals following CHT. Once undergoing this treatment the
people can start to feel like the gender they want to be. That give them the confidence boost they
need to keep up with the treatment. Besides hormonal therapy there are other types of therapies
for gender specific bodies. (Kim & Lee 2021) Transgender people may seek any gender-
affirming interventions, including hormone therapy, surgery, facial hair removal, interventions
for speech and communication modifications, and behavioral adaptations. For either male or
female there are certain types of therapies one can go through to get the best transition as
possible. Social, hormonal, and surgical transitions are associated with improved emotional
health and well-being and are now widely viewed as effective treatments for gender dysphoria
(Kim & Lee 2021). It seems the best way to rid of gender dsyphoria is by hormonal or surgical
transitions. Overall the procedures seem to have wonderful outcomes; the people feel great and
have a more positive outlook on life and their bodies.
Prevention
As we know that gender dsyphoria is when the gender you identify with does not coexist
with the gender you were born with, cause’s great discomfort at any age. (CMAJ 2019)
Adolescents with gender dysphoria present in a variety of health care settings, including primary
care. That being said there are tons of center where adolescents can go and get the help they
need. There seems to be an abundance of youth that experience dsyphoria that centers cannot
hold all of them. With the lack of parental support and long distances some youths will never get
the help they need. (CMAJ 2019) Primary care providers are well placed to provide critical
support for youth with gender dysphoria and their caregivers and families. Some primary care
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doctors my lack the knowledge of dsyphoria and cannot provide the treatment they need. (CMAJ
2019) A recent Canadian national survey found that less than 50% of transgender youth felt
comfortable discussing their trans-related health care needs with their family doctor. Less than
50%, that is pretty major when it comes to transgender youth opening up and discussion their
dsyphoria. Canada provides excellent amount of information needed to guide these doctors in the
right directions of care. They provide management on dsyphoria and practical advice on social
and medical transitioning. (CMAJ 2019) We use the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria when referring to gender dysphoria.
These providers are kept up to date on the changes and definitions of dsyphoria. This lets know
how to provide the upmost care for their patients. (CMAJ 2019) Focus mainly on recent research
that reflects the current diagnostic criteria, studies that apply contemporary assessment. With that
comes high hopes for the future of Trans people, to know that your provider is well informed and
can guide you on a path to a safe transitioning. As for 100% complete prevention there is still so
much to learn and gain from gender dsyphoria that researchers are not aware of. Can they
minimize the stress and struggles of dsyphoria, sure? There won’t be a complete end to
dsyphoria, especially now since more and more teens are coming out and having this issue.
Cross-Cultural
Gender dsyphoria among various cultures can be quite difficult as in family backgrounds,
medical backgrounds and where their views lie on gender dsyphoria. (MacNish 2018) Each
individual in the family holds can help to inform the clinician of a family’s strengths and
potential barriers to acceptance of a youth. That being said if a family member is willing to
support the teenager in this process this will make for nice session. Other families may not be
very supportive or open to discuss why their child is going through dsyphoria or really care about
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the overall outcome. (MacNish 2018) research at the Family Acceptance Project correlating
parental rejection and negative mental health outcomes, the author encourages the use of this
research as an intervention for families who exhibit rejecting behaviors. This will aide in the help
with dsyhoria to find out what stressor they have outside of the home and at the home. In the end
the plan is to guide them to come together and build a connection. Some families are different
and various religions will not accept that fact their child has dsyphoria. In the end they could
push that child away. (Lepine 2018) Last year, Pakistan started issuing passports with a third
gender category marked by an “X”. In Pakistan their culture is starting to realize there are other
genders out there than juts male and female. (Lepine 2018) In March, the country took things a
step further and passed legislation allowing people to change their sex on legal documents, based
on self-identification. This country is open to the idea of a new generation that includes
transgender people. For Pakistan it is a huge step in the progressive path. (Lepine 2018) But
while a third gender really does exist in some societies, that doesn’t necessarily mean that these
non-Western views of sex and gender roles are anti-sexist. Meaning one country is allowing
open sexuality while the western states are still trying to ban or pass a law that prevent treatment
for those that identity as Trans. This can lead to a slow progression of treatment for dsyphoria.
(Lepine 2018) If you compare India’s transgender population to Pakistan’s, you’ll notice an
interesting similarity: an overwhelming majority are males. In India these men that identify as
females are watched very closely to see if they homosexual and if caught they castrated and can’t
marry or own land. Overall with gender dsyphoria it varies among culture to culture. Some are
open to the fact people may identify as someone else, but other places might be so welcoming to
new ideas.
Biblical Worldview
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Gender dsyphoria is very controversial topic among any community and religion. How is
it seen in a Biblical worldview? There is a Pastor named Preston Sprinkle that wrote the book
called “Embodied”. This goes into detail about gender dsyphoria in the Bible. (McDowell & Rae
2021) I've gotten to know several people who identify as Trans, many people who are wrestling
with their gender identity and their Christian faith. This has been a big issue for the Trans
community that grew up in a very religious household. (McDowell & Rae 2021) Most pastors
today are getting lots of questions from people in their congregations and their ministries about
transgender identities, gender dysphoria, and everything that surrounds that conversation. It is a
topic of interest; more and more groups of Tran people are coming out and stating they have
dsyphoria. Some of them want answers as to why they feel this way and wonder if God approves
their choice. (McDowell & Rae 2021) Gender has to do with both the psychological and or
sociological response to our male or female embodiment. When talking about sex in the Bible it
sole based on biological form and biological reality. (McDowell & Rae 2021) The Bible does
recognize certain biological differences between the broad categories of men and women. For
instance it was the women’s job to care and look after the children while the men go out and hunt
for food. (McDowell & Rae 2021) The Bible never morally mandates that and oftentimes our
assumptions about what it means to be a manly man or a feminine woman. This true the Bible
doesn’t depict a list for what is manly and feminine. Nor does the Bible say man can only act this
way and vice versa for women. (McDowell & Rae 2021) Or how about some women in the Bible
who are prophets and judges and Jael in Judges 4 driving a tent peg through a man’s skull.As
you can see it doesn’t matter based on the sex role where you have to behave like a male or
female but can take on both of those roles together. (McDowell & Rae 2021) I don't see a good
convincing biblical argument to say that in some cases, this is really the best way that a disciple
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of Christ should live out their human identity. With that being said God wants everybody to live
a wonderful live and spread the word of his Gospel. That being said the body of Christ is all one
and there no direct gender. What the Bible might say about dsyphoria is try to lessen the burden
of stress you have for yourself and walk with God to take that burden away.
Conclusion
This topic of research has really opened an eye for what gender dsyphoria is and where it
starts. Not to mention how it’s handled across various cultures and what treatment options are
available. Gender dsyphoria is truly ongoing project that need more research to not only provide
the best possible treatment but to identify when it happens in kids, teens, and adults. The DSM-5
does a fantastic job of describing gender dsyphoria and what symptoms to lookout for in Trans
people. Gender dsyphoria is a constant state of wanting to be like the opposite gender and the
struggle to try to identify as that person but still have the other gender’s body. In today’s world
gender dsyphoria is becoming more and more common, at which it’s safe to say people are
finally opening up about the condition they have and what help. Hormonal treatment and
surgeries are a great way to beat dsyphoria but at the same time there need to be more of an
easier way to get these treatments. They need to run more studies and create a more cost
effective plan for those they can’t afford it or have it available to them.
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Reference
Greta R. Bauer, Margaret L. Lawson, Daniel L. Metzger,
Do Clinical Data from Transgender Adolescents Support the Phenomenon of “Rapid Onset
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Benni, Naika Ferruccio, Maria Cristina Meriggiola, Chiara Manieri, Anna Gualerzi, Emmanuele
Jannini, Alessandro Oppo, Valdo Ricca, Mario Maggi, Alessandra H. Rellini,
Cross‐Sex Hormonal Treatment and Body Uneasiness in Individuals with Gender Dysphoria,
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Cecilia Lepine. Feminist Current. Cultures that have ‘third genders’ don’t prove transgenderism
is either ubiquitous or progressive. August 25th, 2018.
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https://www.feministcurrent.com/2018/08/25/cultures-third-genders-dont-prove-transgenderism-
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Sean McDowell & Scott Rae. Embodied: Transgender Identities and the Church
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