Theraverse
.
February 27, 2025
What would it feel like if you were forced to wear clothes that were three sizes too small? Your movements restricted, every breath making it a little too tight, the fabric pulling and tugging at you in ways that feel completely wrong. No matter how much you adjust, the discomfort lingers, making even a simple task feel overwhelming and self-conscious.
.
Now, imagine that instead of ill-fitting clothes, it’s your entire sense of self that feels misaligned, the way you are seen by the world doesn’t match the way you know yourself to be. What if every glance, every assumption about who you are, felt like another layer of something that just doesn’t fit?
That’s a glimpse into what gender dysphoria can feel like, which is a condition that describes a person’s distress when their gender identity doesn’t match their assigned sex at birth.
Earlier this condition was known as gender identity disorder (GID) but now it is called gender dysphoria in DSM-5 and as gender incongruence in ICD 11, as it was considered offensive to imply that the condition is abnormal or disorder-like. That begs the question, if it is not a disorder, why is it even mentioned in the classification systems of mental disorders and diseases?
Well, these classifications do not label the gender nonconformity as the disorder. But the extent of the distress caused, due to the incongruence with the assigned sex at birth, is considered a diagnosable condition. This distress can further lead to several mental health issues.
In comparison with the general population, persons with gender dysphoria have higher rates of depressive symptoms (64.5%), suicidality (42.9%), substance use disorders (40.2%), general distress (33.8%), anxiety (25.9%), discrimination, and stigma, that contribute to mental health problems.
Although the DSM–5 articulates explicitly that “gender non-conformity is not in itself a mental disorder” the diagnosis can be a double-edged sword. It provides an avenue for treatment, making medical and surgical options available. However, it also has the potential to stigmatize transgender and gender non-conforming people (TGNC) by categorizing them as mentally ill.
Glossary
If we are going to understand gender dysphoria, it cannot happen without making ourselves familiar with few key terms, so here is a quick Glossary –
Sex – A person’s biological and physiological characteristics, such as reproductive organs, chromosomes, hormones, and gonads
Sexuality – A person’s emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to others
Gender – A person’s socially constructed characteristics, such as norms, roles, relationships, and behaviors
Gender identity – a person’s internal sense of their gender
Gender expression – how someone outwardly presents their gender
Gender affirmation – the process of living as your authentic gender, rather than the gender you were assigned at birth. It can include social, medical, and legal changes.
Cisgender – someone whose gender identity aligns with their sex assigned at birth
Transgender – someone whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth
Social transition – living in accordance with one’s gender identity, which may include changing one’s name, pronouns, or appearance
Medical transition – The use of medical interventions, such as hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgeries, to align one’s body with their gender identity
Misgendering – Referring to someone using incorrect pronouns or gendered terms, which can be distressing for transgender and non-binary individuals
Deadnaming – A person’s birth name that they no longer use after transitioning. Using someone’s deadname without consent is considered disrespectful
What helps?
- Psychotherapy
- The intention behind counselling or psychotherapy is not to change the individual’s gender identity, rather to support the TGNC people to feel more comfortable in the choices they are making, help anticipate challenges and build healthy ways to cope with it.
- Providing supportive psychotherapy can help with the loneliness and isolation that this process may bring with it
- Psycho-education about the treatment options to both the clients as well as their family can help with gaining access to the right information without the judgement and bias
- Medical interventions
- Hormone therapy and reassignment surgeries are an option for people looking to transition completely or reduce secondary sex characteristics, however these treatments are expensive and may not be feasible for most.
- Psychiatric intervention for any comorbid mental conditions from anxiety, depression, mania and sleep issues can help manage the distress
- Social workers
- Finding NGOs or Community-based organisations (CBOs) that support people experiencing dysphoria or looking to transition, can help not only to create social support but also for any financial, housing and legal assistance.
- Resources
- 7 organisations leading gender affirming care in India
- National portal for transgender persons
- Indian Queer NGOs and support groups
- Orinam – non-funded, social, and activist collective in Chennai
- Sahodaran – CBO run by and for the LGBTQ+ community
By,
Jensita Grace,
In-house Psychologist, Talk Therapy Clinic
.
Resources:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9567711/
https://www.verywellmind.com/gender-dysphoria-5085081
https://www.instagram.com/sahodaran_chennai/?hl=en
https://orinam.net/about/orinam-net/
https://gaysifamily.com/lifestyle/indian-queer-ngos-support-groups-on-instagram/
https://transgender.dosje.gov.in/
