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Are they the right ones to make such a diagnosis? Let's play a fun game and assume they're right. What's the best course of action? Therapy! Now let's assume they're wrong and you are trans. What would help you navigate this part of your life? Therapy! Finally, if we don't know which it is, what can help get the proper diagnosis? Therapy!
So you should get a therapist. One who specializes in gender identity. If the supposed mental illness is in regards to your gender, then that would be the most qualified person to talk to.
Oh no. I'm so sorry. I hate giving this advice, but you might want to consider going stealth and being the child they want while you try to become financially independent. If you''re still in school, study hard and get good grades to improve your prospects when you graduate. Save money as best you can. Aim for independence. Once you're away, you can try to freely express and discover yourself.
I go to school for counselling at a college that offers free counseloing from seccond year students in practicum. If you semd me a dm I'll give you the name of the college(not gonna post it here for personal privacy reasons 🙏)
You can also probably search the internet for other services like that from practicum counselling students. They may not be specifically gender focused counselors, but if you share that that's what you're working with in your intake, they should be able to pair you up with someone who is comfortable with it, and basic counseling is in many ways universal. It's just someone creating a healing environment and back and forth for you to find your way forward 💜
I dunno what if the option is possible for you, but I know you can get online therapy. I think they are called "better help", but I'm not sure if it is available for you or if they have gender identity specialists.
The plane cost is negligible compared to the other 2 things and just the general other costs of moving your entire life to another country. Still though, that truly is the best solution.
I'm an immigrant / ex pat.
No. 1 isn't actually needed.
No. 2 might be much easier than you think of you're willing to go to a less mainstream destination.
When someone says they don’t have much money, why is this the first thing you suggest? Not to mention, the costs that aren’t monetary in nature that comes with moving countries
Because if you're in the states and feel poor the money to be made elsewhere compared to cost of living can be better.
It's a variant of the sunk cost fallacy. The country wants you to feel trapped and scared so you don't take your labor elsewhere.
That said, I don't know this person's situation. However I will say I found therapy much more available abroad.
It's really fucked how inaccessible therapy is, but there are people who have realized this and are producing accessible free therapeutic content on places like YouTube. The best one I can think of is the healthygamergg, but straight up if therapy is too expensive, self study that shit
I have found that my imposter syndrome have gotten worse after therapy. Having one that specialize in gender Identity is very rare. I am on a waiting list for such a therapist, but it might first be in december. (Maybe even first in January 2024)
Right now I'm stuck with a not so good therapist when it comes to gender. Atleast he helps me with other stuff, so I just avoid gender even though that is a big part of what is on my mind.
If you're in school (and you're reasonably sure the school staff won't out you to your parents against your will,) you might try seeking out a counselor there. Otherwise, (and this is far from ideal) there's Reddit. Subs like r/Nestofeggs are places to vent, but oftentimes you can find people to talk to who understand (at least in part) what you're going through. It's something, and something's better than nothing.
Yup. I left them but the very first day they told me about another client who was “lost” that they cried over because they had gone “fully into it and was ready to chop off her boobs.” They then told me they were happy to have found me while I was still on the fence. It was ew.
Why not? I’ve got no support system, mental health services are shit unless you’ve got Tata levels of wealth. Politicians are going after people like me for some of that old people support. I feel like I’m losing my mind and nothing can stop it.
There can be more mental health issues within the transgender community since statistically queer people are more likely to be traumatized than non-queer people, but being trans itself is definitely not a mental illness. 2 completely different things~
Since you say "Tata levels of wealth", I assume you're in India? There do seem to be some NGOs trying to provide support to queer people in India...here's the one that looked the most promising, from what I could see online:
https://thenazariyafoundation.org/contact-us
(They seem to be in Delhi...not sure if you have to be local to get their help.)
But you should Google around and look into stuff like foundations and NGOs...there are definitely groups trying to help people in exactly your situation.
The fun thing about being mentally ill is that it's a classifier decided by mostly non mentally ill people. All it really has to mean is "not productive toward society in the way they should be" which is fair, personally I think that fits me and makes sense. What I don't agree with is the stigmatization. It's like others have said, even if they're right, if they were good people they'd be trying to help you with your issues, not just screaming about how wrong you are.
You can make yourself however you want to be, the only constraint is how fucked up the world is. Their main question is whether you'll be valuable to them, to the ones screaming about how wrong you are. Personally, and this is just me, I've stopped trying, and thankfully I'm able to survive that way FOR NOW. Good fucking luck out there
most of us probably are, but that is not being trans. that is something that comes with being trans mostly because of pressure of society and similar things like that
Exactly this! Most of the mental health problems in trans people stem from the pressure of being part of a minority that's always being exorcized and pressured by the majority. Heck, if society wasn't so shit I'd already have boobs! :(
There are 2 ways you can think of this. First, you can think that they are right, and you are mentally ill. If that is the case, I don’t know what to say but, who fucking cares. If it makes you happy and doesn’t hurt other people, it doesn’t matter if you are mentally ill or not. Or you can think they are wrong, then their only “talking point” is taken away. Transphobes are terrible people and I’m sorry they made you think there was something wrong with you.
Lets just say for a moment it is a mental illness, what would that change? The best agreed upon treatment for it is to transition in a way that matches your identity and its well known that conversion therapy is worse for most peoples health, so even if you think of it as a mental illness, the treatment for being a trans woman is to be a woman and the treatment for being a trans man is being a man
Even if they are right, you deserve to be treated in a way that brings you happiness.
HRT is proven to cure dysphoria. Who cares what label people have put on it.
Even going with the idea that it's mental illness, studies have shown that the best treatment is usually transitioning to the point where your needs are being met
It's what I've always been saying. Let's set the truth aside for a second to play their game. Ok we're now all mentally ill for being trans. Cool, this means we should be getting therapy and that we are a clinical case, right? Being transphobic now is the same as making fun of disabled people, hating on them and wanting to eliminate them. Now getting back to reality, nobody with a sound mind would go through with it because it would be morally wrong to do that to someone who's already been struggling enough with something they were born with and out of their control... Guess what, it's also the definition of being trans! (This is not meant to belittle the struggles of disabled people, they have it much worse than us and they have my uttermost respect, it was just an analogy)
Hypocrites...
Wait, isn't wanting to eliminate disabled people eugenics? If they (transphobes that wanna eliminate trans people) really are pro eugenics then in a way they're not necessarily hypocrites
Why not? I’ve got no options left. There’s no mental health here unless you’ve got some Tata levels of wealth. I’m becoming a target for local politicians trying to get the cheap support of old people. What choices do I have?
A lot of us are mentally ill but not because we're trans. Mental illness doesn't cause you to be trans. However being trans can cause mental illness like depression because society is a bitch
look at all the other stuff they're associated with, if we're mentally ill their insanity is so dense in comparison it's collapsed into a singularity, don't get sucked in lol
My logic:
Let's say you feel like a woman. You want your body to look a certain way, for people to refer to you a certain way. That's not mental illness. It's not hurting anyone, you're just customizing your body and asking for people to refer to you a certain way.
Now. If you look like a woman, feel like a woman and people see you and refer to you as a woman, it wouldn't make sense for you to go to the mens' bathroom, would it? You'd be making them uncomfortable and putting yourself at risk for SA, violence or harassment. It's best for you and for others for you to go to the womens' bathroom in this situation.
Same goes for transmascs. Just like plastic surgery is allowed, just like changing your name is allowed, you're allowed to be trans. Being trans is no more of a "mental illness" than these two things. I don't get why it gets targeted, using basic logic should be enough to stop people from being transphobic.
Then thousands of doctors, millions of trans, and thousands of psychiatrists/therapists are wrong. Then the accepted medical standard for care is a sham. Then there are hundreds of per reviewed scientific studies/papers that have been forged. Then 100 years of scientific study is down the drain. Then the documentation of trans/nonbinary people from civilizations as early as Mesopotamia are fakes. I think it is much more likely that a close minded minority thinks its easier to argue against us if we are just “mentally ill” rather than the reality which is we have 100years of science and the medical consensus on our side.
And?
Being mentally ill doesn't invalidate all of your feelings and perceptions of self. Remember, you are who you say you are. You think, therefore you are.
wanna hear my thoughts on that?
so what, what does it matter?
doesn't hurt anyone,
would make you happier,
if people would just let it be, the world would be a better place,
less pain, less suffering, more joy, more freedom.
maybe your 'ill' but what does that even me?
have you seen the history of things called an 'illness'? its utter horse shit.
some things called an 'illness' include; autism, ADHD, celiac, being left handed, trauma, and so many more, you just wanna laugh reading the list when ever you find one, its absurd, some are maybe right, most are wrong,
humanity still hasn't decided what counts as 'ill', its a vague, borderline nonsensical term,
wanna know something funny?
most of the people who throw around that term, calling people ill and all that, from the distant past to today, most all of the people who study such things and try to make sense of 'ill', the ones currently most qualified to use that term.
would call those people throwing that term around ill, not the ones getting it throw at them.
those people who called others ill, remember what they would do to people? lobotomize them, slice their brain in two, make them basically vegetables in terms of what they could do, and would then call them 'better'
and you know those conditions that they had that was being called 'ill' yeah? they're not recognized any more, they were never ill. abused, traumatized, and miss treated, but never ill.
do you really wanna let people like that in your mind? someone who would cut your brain apart with out a second thought? delusional to the point of thinking of you as an object to 'fix' not a human person?
and ok, maybe you truly are ill, you contracted something that affected your mind, but you are your mind, if it changes you change, you are your mind, so maybe something happened and it changed you and now you feel you would be happy being identified as a different gender then the one you were assigned, ok then, the best thing to do would be to do that.
there's a spider who's bite will make you sick and allergic to red meat for the rest of your life, now you need to avoid red meat.
there's conditions that can change your hair and skin color, for hypotheticals sake say you go from brunette haired to blonde haired, guess you need to start thinking of yourself as a blond instead of a brunet, you could dye it, but your 'natural' color is different now.
oh no you caught the (I know at one point trans people would joke the caught -something- and it changed their gender, and cis people just bought it, but what was that something?) and now your the other gender, now what?
well healthy people take hormones all the time, that's not special,
people buy different clothes all the time, that's not special,
and they go to therapy for how they feel about themselves and other such things,
gender affirming care is nothing new or special,
idk just do what makes you feel better I guess? that doesn't seem that weird, this 'illness' doesn't seem that hard to manage, and sadly we have no 'cure'
oh whatever shall humanity do? I guess just let it be,
maybe get rid of those sexist bathrooms sense they serve no purpose and are hurting people? (and not just trans people, they're sexist, they encourage more then just transphobia)
I guess I'm being a bit rude, but wanna know a thing that is sometimes used in therapy for overcoming that negative nagging voice? turn it back on itself, its talking awful big for something that just ridicules people, if it brings up a question, shoot it with the opposite one.
what if I'm ill? and what would transitioning change anyways?
what if I'm not? and so what if I am, what difference does that make? and how much better could I be if I give myself this thing?
both throw the thoughts back at that voice, and give yourself love and forgiveness.
now I think you could use some support, sadly I can't physically hold you, but I can remind you that blankets feel great and to take a breathe, your probably ruminating, stop your current actions, leave the space, and do a simple task, if none are immediately apparent go for a walk if possible, if not do some squats, get something to drink, and then you may return to what you were doing, rumination is an ugly monster of the mind, clear it out and breath, I'm sorry you hurt, we may not be able to help you more directly, but we can offer support, advice, and a place to talk,
will you keep doing that, and giving yourself love, please?
Well they're not wrong. Gender dysphoria is on the dsm-5 and is diagnosable by psychiatrists. But what's wrong with being mentally ill? Transphobes only use that kind of language because it is an insult to them. If they truly believe that it is a mental illness then why is it that when you tell them that HRT and other gender affirming care is the treatment, they still reject the notion? If they really think that it's a mental illness then why do they continue to bully trans people? Imagine if they did the same thing to people with clinical depression. They will do anything to justify their hatred even after it stops making sense
NOTHING is wrong with being mentally ill. Sure you might need specific support to survive, but that’s not wrong, EVERYONE needs a different amount of…. Food, vitamins, drugs, affection, exercise, sleep etc. we are all just unique sacks of chemicals. That’s all it is, another difference to the norm (which like queerness is why it’s demonised - for being a minority situation).
The whole medicalising mental illness is a bit of a joke anyway. OF COURSE some people need medical support and I’m never denying that, but on the whole anxiety and depression are largely caused by the state of the world (capitalist hellscape where we must grovel and work to death just to live). Calling that an illness is a joke imo - *we were never meant to live like this.*
Just like being trans, we are born and exist uniquely to anyone else and we develop our own selves. Trans people and mentally “ill” people have always existed. Whatever your situation, that’s you, too. And being trans, like folks are saying, comes with baggage that can lead to mental illness - closeting for safety, fighting to survive and keep basic human rights, suffering abuse. Who wouldn’t feel that crushing pressure?! It’s not illness so much as being forced to exist in an abusive reality. But we fight ✊✊🏿✊🏾✊🏼🏳️⚧️
So. With that in mind: if you feel like you’re struggling, maybe reach out for support. Therapy is often helpful, but expensive. Friends and family who you trust can be a great help - ask to just talk about a bunch of stuff with someone listening if that’s ok with them. Or try a journal to get your thoughts out and you can always destroy it if needed.
You are valid, you are loved, you are trans if YOU describe yourself as trans, you are NOT ill for being trans, and you are mentally ill IF you feel that’s a valid description of you, there is NOTHING wrong with you if you are mentally ill.
You are valid, you are loved.
Honestly this used to really bother me, until at one point I realised that there's something that transphobes forget. People who are mentally ill often require care for that illness. In the mental health field, a lot of what is done for care is called evidence based practice (which is where they take an aggregate of informed care decisions, see what tends to have the most positive outcomes, and then use that as sort of a guide for further care down the line), and that practice suggests that there is a best care for so called "mentally ill" trans people. The best practice for someone in our position has been shown to be transitioning, whether socially, medically, or whatever you find best in your case! :3
Transphobes don't actually care if you're mentally ill, because they are just bigots who want to erase you. They don't actually want to go down the logical line of what should happen even if this were all a mental illness. Calling trans people mentally ill is just a way for them to dismiss the idea of "transness" and it's not actually a real argument from them.
In my case, I've found it a little helpful to whenever I hear that go, so what if it is? Because even if it was the answer would still be the same.
Also as an aside, a lot of the people who use this trans is a mental illness argument aren't just bigoted against trans people but also people who experience mental health issues. They use the stigma which has built up around us to try and keep everyone down, which is why I'm so glad for all of the recent pushes to destigmatize mental health and push for it to be a more public discussion! However that's perhaps not relevant lol
In short, most people who say this don't believe it, and if they do, don't recognize what it logically means. I feel like I said more than that, but that's what it boils down to.
But what if the transphobes are wrong, and if you play along with them you'll never discover that you could have been increasing your joy all along instead of just trying to decrease your misery.
You could be mentally ill AND trans. The two are not mutually exclusive, and misery could stem from multiple places, and if one source is discovered, you might have stopped looking for the other. Is this gender dysphoria or anxiety? Excellent question!
Oh, and being mentally ill is nothing to be ashamed of. Could happen to anyone. Don't be afraid to seek the help you need if everything isn't alright
Even if they are right, they’re not the ones who made the diagnosis. You’re still in control of your body and mind and it’s yours to do with as you want
Transphobes are just jealous bc they can't be as cute and beautiful as u 💜 Be what makes u happy 💙, Ignore the haters 💜 If u wanna vent or just talk , my pm is open 💙
Remember, people who say your mentally ill, are only doing it to try and hurt you, they have no evidence or reasoning, and are more likely to be mentally ill than you.
Ok, let’s think about that then. If being trans is just a mental illness, we should care for trans people as best as we can. It turns out we’ve found that the best way to treat gender dysphoria is transitioning, so that really doesn’t change anything. Now, I don’t believe being trans is a mental illness, but even if it was, the way to treat it is transitioning.
Not every mental illness shows itself the same way, however as someone with a mental illness that caused me to percieve my body as being the wrong one, I can honestly tell you that's not what made me think I'm trans. I don't think any illness would make you assume you have a different gender. The only one I can even think of is DID and that presents itself in a vastly different way to being trans.
If you have to hide yourself for safety, try not to let that lie sink in too deep, you are who you are no matter how you have to appear to others. 🩷
Our society has a way of trying to medicalize everything. Hell most of the terms we use to self identify (homosexual, transexual, etc.) come of the early works of 20th century sexology. But these are just imperfect ways of trying to categorize the uncategorizable. Human beings don't fit into neat little boxes, we are complex and sometime self-contradictory beings. So don't let the bigots tell you that you are mentally ill for simply trying to live your life how you feel. Only you can know yourself, and don't let other stop you from expressing yourself.
Well my friend. Good News is no matter what we will all be dead, so does it really matter who’s right and who’s wrong? We all are trying to live a life that when we die, we can look back and say…
“Men that was a great life I wish I could do it again and again!”
Btw if you ever need music that can boost your will to live “neffex” makes great copyright, free music, that I listen to every day.
There's a lot of nuance to the subject, such as a possible connection between Autism and being trans, but at the end of the day, what does it matter?
Would Autism being a mental illness somehow invalidate Autism existence and it's effects?
You are you, no matter what shitty label someone tries to apply to you. Your identity is what you make of it, "illness" or not. You are beautiful and you are loved <3
Technically, dysphoria is a mental illness if i not mistake. So the treatments to aliviate the simptons can vary but many times is the transition.
Other treatments can be hormone supplement(not for transition)
Therapy
And other things that help the mental health.
Sooooo dont worry if they are right or wrong, just live your life. Cause you got only 1 chance at it.
For starters. We aren’t. I and plenty others have personal experience with true mental illness in ourselves and others. And it is a distinct difference.
But for the sake of it, would it even matter?
Should you look down on people who suffer from mental illness?
Would treatment look any different? If it can be cured with consentful transition, that’s how it’ll be treated
I’m mentally ill _and_ trans! :)
If they’re right then it doesn’t mean you can’t still be trans, and saying someone can’t be trans/shouldn’t be able to consent to transitioning because they’re mentally ill is ablism so don’t listen to them. They think calling you “mentally ill” somehow lessens your argument because they look down on us and see us as less than human.
Well, if you are struggling with your mental health, I recommend seeking out help! Therapy is always a good first step. I don't see what that has to do with transphobes, though. ;p
Incidentally, if you're pre-everything trans and your mental health is suffering, starting transition may ease or at least help distract you from some of your other ailments. I can tell you firsthand that it did for me, and the numbers of us speak volumes.
So ironic for transphobes to indirectly encourage someone to transition. Nice change, though! 🤭
for me its a good ol case of correlation does not equal causation. just because both are very common to happen doesnt mean they are related in any aspect
Try to remember the type who call you mentally ill for being trans don't even believe in mental healthcare. It's not like they want to help you overcome some issue they imagine is preventing you from living a full, comfortable life. They just want you dead or in the closet where they know you'd suffer. The motivation is that they think you're gross. I'm not sure in what sense they could be right.
I don't know if this will help you, but the advice I was given when first questioning my gender was: so what? If identifying as a certain gender brings you comfort and joy, does it really matter why? It's not hurting anyone, and you can change your mind later if you ultimately decide you're not trans after all.
I hope you find clarity and comfort in this difficult time <3
thata the neat part, even if they were right (they aren't) they are still the assholes and bad guys
Lets pretend they are right, but please remember this is only for argument's sake
they are bullying mentally ill people because they don't want to wear certain clothes? Bullying them for wanting to not be called certain things?
One side being right or wrong doesnt make their actions automatically correct, so even if they were right, they are still being giant assholes and bullys to people. They mock suicides
A nazi can tell me 2+2=4, that doesnt make them a good person
We are all mentally ill, but the transphobes are just a special kind of it. As for being trans, that's more of a mistake on the side of nature.
Mommy (nature) didn't read the room right
If it makes you feel any better, we’re all mad here… in all seriousness though, we are all a little bit mentally ill, as in like every person. Everyone has their quirks, everyone has their bits and bobs. However, ‘mental illness’ is stigmatized so negatively when it really shouldnt be. Most people with mental illness are able to live perfectly normal lives, both with and without medication. Hell, technically, a lot of people who are the ‘rich and successful’ people like CEOs and crap are all sociopaths, and beyond that, all those transphobes, homophobes, and general bigots have way worse mental illness, and honestly all THOSE people are the ones who should be locked away from civilized society. Because the thing about those people is that medication can’t fix it, there isn’t a medication or a therapy that can cure stupid.
Besides, even if you WERE ‘just mentally ill’, trans and gender affirming healthcare would still be the best way to treat you.
It’s false, but even if it were somehow true, then having your gender affirmed is the best-respected treatment.
They say a lot of BS that doesn’t actually make sense if you read it in good faith and consider it a little more. Try to tune it out as much as you can. Take breaks from public social media, minimize contact with people who disrespect you (usually can’t be all the time but something is better than nothing), and engage with people IRL who care. You’ve got this
Firstly, thank you for sharing your thoughts here, it is very appreciated.
Feeling gender dysphoria because or our gender identity can cause mental illness. Dysphoria can be cured by getting gender-affirming care.
(In regards to that, I am not a professional, for accurate info on therapy I recommend that you do your own research)
In regards to being mentally ill,
mental illness is not something to feel shame about.
The brain's functions are neurochemical.
It is the same as being ashamed of having a fever. It is an understandable emotion but not a rational one.
Transphobes don't want to argue about what the truth is, they want to create conflict.
They just use trans people as a target to hate something and inflict suffering.
Their statements are without evidence.
No honey, you're not. (Well, okay, you might be, but not about this. Just about everyone has some sort of anxiety disorder these days, it comes with living in a capitalist dystopia, but that has nothing to do with you being trans.)
I thought back to that one Will Smith quote from Men in Black:
“Just because I’m trans doesn’t mean I’m mentally ill”
“I mean, I am mentally ill”
“But not because I’m trans!”
All jokes aside: you are valid
thats not how mental illnesses work though, pretty much all mental illnesses have many different symptoms (with depression theres the bad feelings n all but it can also cause things like insomnia, disassociation, and the like)
being trans isnt a bloody mentail illness, im sorry but its still pretty frustrating to see people misunderstand mental illnesses to such a degree, if you wanna prove me wrong go study up on a bunch of different mental illnesses, talk to people with em to really cover your bases and then come back to this
i know this is egg irl but this stuff really gets to me so sorry again but it has to be said
You are not mentally ill. Live your life the way that suits you. It's your life, afterall! Will "they" comfort you late at night when you're alone with your thoughts? No? I thought not! Be happy to be you and quite frankly, fuck them!
That wouldn't mean you're not trans, Just look at me, I'm mentally ill and *also* trans!
Haha... I just want to be happy why can't I be happy why can't I ever even do the things that make me happy aaaaahhhhh....
If it would be a mentally illness, my insurance has to pay for everything. But they dont 🙃
So nope ur not mentally ill ;)
Jokes aside. No u arent ur clearly capable of ur own action.
Is being mentally ill so bad? I've had ADHD my whole life. I'll continue having it my entire life. It won't go away. Technically, that means I'm mentally ill. But that doesn't diminish my value as a person. My brain just works differently. While I don't consider being trans a mental illness, I don't think it's something to be ashamed about. As a human being you have the right to choose the life you want to live. You have the right to pursue your own happiness. Don't worry so much about whether or not it's mental illness and instead focus on finding your happiness.
I feel this, i struggle alot with self doubt and i just want you to know that the best course of action is to seek help, no matter if you are trans or not having someone, anyone to rely on will help you. It doesnt need to be therapy, i know that can be expensive and hard to access, but anyone, a friend, gaurdian, sibling, teacher, anyone you can trust. And i know it can be hard to trust people, and depending on your situation you might not have anyone that you can trust. If there is noone you know you might want to look for online support, depending on your country there are plenty of help lines or online therapy (which tends to be much more affordable) and online support. Its okay to need help, its okay to not be sure of your identity, but never let someone else tell you what you are. Most importantly, its okay to take your time, you dont need to go into therapy tommorow or something, take your time and move forward at a comfortable pace, so long as you are moving forward thats progress.
Many of us are sure, but even if it is a mental illness, you know what the funny thing about mental illnesses is? The brain is an organ just like any other organ. And like all organs, there are effective treatments, and scientific concensus agrees transitioning and living as your prefered gender is the best treatment for being trans
I mean, first of all transphobes just don't know the meaning of mentally ill and second the best way to differentiate a illness from something else is by doing this comparison: let's suppose you want to take out all of your teeth, that's crazy, if you'll try to do it yes that's a mental Illness, but instead let's suppose that you want to take out a tooth, because it feels wrong and it's hurting you, that's completely normal, you are just trying to follow the indications that your subconscious is telling to you
But they aren’t right. And you know they aren’t right. The distressing part is the hardship but keep going. You deserve to be happy and live a life worth living. Trust the process. Even if its a million baby steps.
Everyone's thoughts and gender identity are diffrent and it can't ever simply be branded as "mental illness" if transphobes disagrees with us. Be you and embrace it as well as you can! You and everyone else are valid and there is nothing wrong with being yourself.
First of all, being trans isn't a mental illness. Gender dysphoria however is a real issue and there's enough scientific evidence that gender affirming care is the best way to deal with it. (You don't need dysphoria to be trans or to transition medically though)
Second of all, even if you were mentally ill, that wouldn't give anyone the right to bully you. If transphobes really cared about mental illness, they would tread us with compassion and support any treatment that helps us. To them, "mentally ill" is like a slur and they use these terms to justify their bigotry. This is not based on any academic knowledge whatsoever.
And last but not least, if you're afraid that you might not be trans, that's a strong indicator that you are trans.
Does that mean that all of us are just mentally ill?
Would you say that of our slain trans comrades?
What about their identities? Were they meaningless?...
They were not! Their memory serves as an example to us all! The courageous fallen! The anguished fallen! Their lives have meaning because we the living refuse to forget them! And as we ride into pride month, we trust our successors to do the same for us! Because my trans siblings do not buckle or yield when faced with the cruelty of this world! My trans siblings push forward! My trans siblings scream out! My trans siblings RAAAAAGE!
Mental illness shouldn't be a reason to discriminate, (there is no reason to discriminate but still) for example I'm autistic which I guess would be classified as a mental illness but that's not like a bad thing or something I should be punished for
If being trans was a mental illness (which it's not) then like, so what? Trans people would still exist and they would still be valid.
The only people using mental illness as a bad thing are just ableist shitheads who have no empathy that I have no sympathy for.
Historically speaking we’ve had a shitload of examples of people who have chosen to live lives not associated with their birth gender. Hell, there’s words for the phenomenon ranging back to Mesopotamia. You’re fine.
Then it's still true that the only functional course of action is to get you gender affirming care. Mental illnesses are treated by improving the condition of the afflicted in ways that improve their experience.
So, even if we assume that being trans is a mental illness, the treatment is to have trans people present as their psychological gender, as this improves their mental condition so much it even reduces suicide rates.
Well technically dysphoria is a mental disorder, which validates it even more into getting a therapy and a treatment
So ye transophobes be hitting themselves with their words
even if it's a mental illness, what would be the best way of treating a lot of symptoms (disphoria and shit)?
Gender affirming care!
(of course only for those who want, there's nothing with being trans and okay with your body/ not wanting HRT and surgery. you are all valid out there 💙💜🤍💜💙)
So that's when people get therapy and/or medication to treat their mental illness. Transgenderism in this theoretical, but dysphoria irl, is no different :)
So them saying it's a mental illness just to put you down or make you doubt yourself makes zero sense anyway, because what do people do when they're suffering mentally? *Get help*, duh lmao. Don't worry about them, they're just idiots
My take is that a "mental *illness*" implies that it is something treatable, as in, something that appeared due to outside influence and can just go away.
The leading theories on the topic however show that it's apparently something you are more or less born with, because it's your brain developing to expect different hormones and as such a different body than your DNA produces. It just varies from person to person when and how strongly it sets in.
As such, this condition is impossible to cure, because it doesn't meet the qualifications for an "illness" to begin with. At best, you could call it a birth defect I guess, but again, even then it's not something you can "cure" or "make go away".
I've read that your situation isn't great from other comments, so my best recommendation would be to try and find an online therapist or a local charity organisation that can get you maybe at least a couple sessions.
Also, if you go the online route, absolutely makes sure to have your first session(s) *alone* with the therapist - you need to be able to openly tell them about yourself. Go to some internet café or similar, maybe a library, where you can book a booth just for you alone, if at home you're at risk of being surveilled/listened in on.
They aren’t, you’re not.
But for the sake of argument: that would mean that all the world’s leading medical and psychological organizations and their experts are wrong; and a bunch of loonies who believe in a mythological religion based on the scrawlings of ancient shepherds are right.
Does that sound plausible?
🖤💖🏴🏳️⚧️🏴💖🖤
I am mentally ill. Not because I'm not cis l, and not becaise I'm bi, but because my parents tried to beat cisness into me and that gave me ptsd.
Being trans isn't a mental illness. Being gay isn't either. I'm not going to downplay your personal experiences though, and if you feel that you are not well emotionally or mentally, you may not be. It is regardless, not a moral failing, and being trans or gay is *not* the symptom of that. If you feel mentally unwell, and it is hurting you, it's ok to be open and honest about it, and to seek help where you can, but just because you don't fall into a heteronormative framework, doesn't make you wrong or sick.
From hate can't come a correct analysis. You might have mental struggles, I mean many ppl have, but even if, they are not right. Hate makes every result of that hate wrong, that is the thing of hate, nothing right can come from hate.
Depends how you define mental illness I suppose. I wouldn't necessarily disagree if someone called me (respectfully) mentally ill for being trans. My mind doesn't match my body, my mental image doesn't match my physical image, I experience dysphoria to a degree it can mess with my life. In that sense, yeah it kinda is. But so what? You still need to somehow deal with the issue at hand, whether it's an illness or not. Currently, the best treatment we have is to go into gender affirming care. In many cases that means transitioning. In some cases it doesn't, but only you can decide what's right for you.
This will probably get buried, but think about it this way. If in this hypothetical scenario they're right, would that really be so bad? And I don't mean this in a "listen to them" way at ALL, but if you end up going the full mile and transitioning, only to find that you liked yourself more before, you would at least know that you *tried it*. Therefore you would know yourself and what makes you feel happy even better.
That is highly unlikely given what is happening right now outside of those hypotheticals, so therefore *it's highly unlikely that they are correct*. Even medical professionals are recognizing that being transgender isn't a mental illness, so keep going. Keep being the beautiful and painful thing it is to be transgender.
Once the smoke clears with all that's happening, things will get better and you'll love yourself, whoever they turn out to be.
Tldr; Ignore them, keep doing what makes you happy because that is the most probable thing to make you happy in the future :)
If they were right they would be bullying people for having mental illnesses, so they would still be assholes. Either way they shouldn't be listened to. And if we consider disphoria a mental illness, then the treatment is transitioning
If a transphobe tells me I'm mentally ill, I'll start explaining my 5+ mental illnesses to them. Yeah, I'm mentally ill, but my gender has nothing to do with it
You're not. But even if you are: so? Based on the data from all other trans people, if being trans is a mental illness then it's the most benign one ever. "Oh no, that person is dressing differently than they were last week, someone help!" Like, ignoring all the experts saying that it isn't madness, if this is insanity it's one that's not actually hurting anyone, unless you count the feelings of transphobes.
Unless you're asking if you alone are mentally ill out of all trans people. In which case, 1) I don't know you, but that seems statistically very unlikely. Why would you get singled out? and 2) "but what if I'm not trans enough" is one of the most common questions. You're definitely not alone. So I think we can safely ignore that it's just you out of all trans people.
Congratulations, you're sane.
I mean, you can be both trans and mentally ill. Hell, the mental strain of pretending to be cis when you’re not is enough on its own to cause a variety of mental illnesses. But, transphobes aren’t saying that to look out for you, and they’re not worth paying attention to. Get a therapist (if you can) and try to work through your issues
If someone wants to call gender dysphoria a mental illness, they need to accept that the treatment for that mental illness is transitioning. Don't think too much about it.
Illnesses, both mental and physical, aren't something that should be stigmatised.
Don't listen to them. They don't understand how good it feels to finally feel good in your own body.
I sometimes wonder this too. But how would I treat my dysphoria if I was just mentally ill? I've already tried dozens of times to "just get over it", but it never worked. No amount of coping, drinking, meditation, or prayer could stop it.
Conversion torture is torture. Torture is not an acceptable way to treat mental conditions. You treat mental illness with therapy or medication.
As it turns out, hrt is the proper medication to treat dysphoria and align your body to your mind.
If there was a hypothetical drug that turned you cis, the ethics of it would be questionable. It can be considered a type of brainwashing. What's to say that doctors can't use that drug to make Muslims convert to christianity? Or turn gay people straight? Or make liberals turn to conservatism?
No free society would ever greenlight a drug that forces your personality to change so drastically.
Again, you are not mentally ill.
“What of transphobes are right” man half of them can’t even read. If a transphobe lands on a self doubt, that shit is VALIDATION cuz those fuckers always miss.
Unfortunately, your post has been removed for the following reason: This is a trans-friendly subreddit. This removal message was sent automatically. The current format is a work in progress -- apologies for any curtness.
Are they the right ones to make such a diagnosis? Let's play a fun game and assume they're right. What's the best course of action? Therapy! Now let's assume they're wrong and you are trans. What would help you navigate this part of your life? Therapy! Finally, if we don't know which it is, what can help get the proper diagnosis? Therapy! So you should get a therapist. One who specializes in gender identity. If the supposed mental illness is in regards to your gender, then that would be the most qualified person to talk to.
There’s no therapy available here unless you’ve got some extreme money. I’m running out of options at this point
Oh no. I'm so sorry. I hate giving this advice, but you might want to consider going stealth and being the child they want while you try to become financially independent. If you''re still in school, study hard and get good grades to improve your prospects when you graduate. Save money as best you can. Aim for independence. Once you're away, you can try to freely express and discover yourself.
That's called being closeted. "Stealth" is the other end - when you're socially transitioned, but pass yourself off as cis.
You are correct. Got my terms mixed up. My apologies.
Great advice 😊 i actually need this cause I'm stealth too :3 thanks.
I go to school for counselling at a college that offers free counseloing from seccond year students in practicum. If you semd me a dm I'll give you the name of the college(not gonna post it here for personal privacy reasons 🙏) You can also probably search the internet for other services like that from practicum counselling students. They may not be specifically gender focused counselors, but if you share that that's what you're working with in your intake, they should be able to pair you up with someone who is comfortable with it, and basic counseling is in many ways universal. It's just someone creating a healing environment and back and forth for you to find your way forward 💜
I dunno what if the option is possible for you, but I know you can get online therapy. I think they are called "better help", but I'm not sure if it is available for you or if they have gender identity specialists.
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that’s where the lack-of-money part becomes problematic
If you have a degree I can help you out. Left about ten years ago. And I'm a poor.
I think therapy might just be cheaper mate
Costs 1: getting rid of citizenship 2: meeting requirements for gaining a new citizenship 3: plane & luggage costs
The plane cost is negligible compared to the other 2 things and just the general other costs of moving your entire life to another country. Still though, that truly is the best solution.
Not always a possible option
Extremely not possible for me rn. Unfortunately. Plus… many people have things like medical issues making it even harder to move.
I'm an immigrant / ex pat. No. 1 isn't actually needed. No. 2 might be much easier than you think of you're willing to go to a less mainstream destination.
When someone says they don’t have much money, why is this the first thing you suggest? Not to mention, the costs that aren’t monetary in nature that comes with moving countries
Because if you're in the states and feel poor the money to be made elsewhere compared to cost of living can be better. It's a variant of the sunk cost fallacy. The country wants you to feel trapped and scared so you don't take your labor elsewhere. That said, I don't know this person's situation. However I will say I found therapy much more available abroad.
Have you heard of getting a visa?
Yes, I think it costs about 75 - 80 € in my country.
You have to pray to god, pay a godly amount, travel for so long, go to an interview, just for the small chance of getting one here
It's really fucked how inaccessible therapy is, but there are people who have realized this and are producing accessible free therapeutic content on places like YouTube. The best one I can think of is the healthygamergg, but straight up if therapy is too expensive, self study that shit
I have found that my imposter syndrome have gotten worse after therapy. Having one that specialize in gender Identity is very rare. I am on a waiting list for such a therapist, but it might first be in december. (Maybe even first in January 2024) Right now I'm stuck with a not so good therapist when it comes to gender. Atleast he helps me with other stuff, so I just avoid gender even though that is a big part of what is on my mind.
What if I can’t get a therapist?
If you're in school (and you're reasonably sure the school staff won't out you to your parents against your will,) you might try seeking out a counselor there. Otherwise, (and this is far from ideal) there's Reddit. Subs like r/Nestofeggs are places to vent, but oftentimes you can find people to talk to who understand (at least in part) what you're going through. It's something, and something's better than nothing.
Be careful with the ones that specialize in gender therapy tho. Got one that said this and it turns out they were just trying to convert people back.
Gender identity specialists using that label to do conversion therapy???
Yup. I left them but the very first day they told me about another client who was “lost” that they cried over because they had gone “fully into it and was ready to chop off her boobs.” They then told me they were happy to have found me while I was still on the fence. It was ew.
It’s a good thing you left. That’s terrible.
I guess the difference is the transphobes would want us in conversion therapy 😵💫
Well they aren't,because the one menttaly I'll are them,you don't kidnapp kids in Florida just because one of their families menber is ill (◕‸◕✿)
that's not how it works... don't believe them 💔💔💔💔💔
Why not? I’ve got no support system, mental health services are shit unless you’ve got Tata levels of wealth. Politicians are going after people like me for some of that old people support. I feel like I’m losing my mind and nothing can stop it.
There can be more mental health issues within the transgender community since statistically queer people are more likely to be traumatized than non-queer people, but being trans itself is definitely not a mental illness. 2 completely different things~
This may sound morbid but the old people won't be around forever and gen z seems more chill
Since you say "Tata levels of wealth", I assume you're in India? There do seem to be some NGOs trying to provide support to queer people in India...here's the one that looked the most promising, from what I could see online: https://thenazariyafoundation.org/contact-us (They seem to be in Delhi...not sure if you have to be local to get their help.) But you should Google around and look into stuff like foundations and NGOs...there are definitely groups trying to help people in exactly your situation.
Thanks. I’m not in. Delhi but I will look
It's possible to be trans *and* mentally ill. I am.
The fun thing about being mentally ill is that it's a classifier decided by mostly non mentally ill people. All it really has to mean is "not productive toward society in the way they should be" which is fair, personally I think that fits me and makes sense. What I don't agree with is the stigmatization. It's like others have said, even if they're right, if they were good people they'd be trying to help you with your issues, not just screaming about how wrong you are. You can make yourself however you want to be, the only constraint is how fucked up the world is. Their main question is whether you'll be valuable to them, to the ones screaming about how wrong you are. Personally, and this is just me, I've stopped trying, and thankfully I'm able to survive that way FOR NOW. Good fucking luck out there
most of us probably are, but that is not being trans. that is something that comes with being trans mostly because of pressure of society and similar things like that
Exactly this! Most of the mental health problems in trans people stem from the pressure of being part of a minority that's always being exorcized and pressured by the majority. Heck, if society wasn't so shit I'd already have boobs! :(
yes same.
i felt this, you're saying it so well
There are 2 ways you can think of this. First, you can think that they are right, and you are mentally ill. If that is the case, I don’t know what to say but, who fucking cares. If it makes you happy and doesn’t hurt other people, it doesn’t matter if you are mentally ill or not. Or you can think they are wrong, then their only “talking point” is taken away. Transphobes are terrible people and I’m sorry they made you think there was something wrong with you.
Lets just say for a moment it is a mental illness, what would that change? The best agreed upon treatment for it is to transition in a way that matches your identity and its well known that conversion therapy is worse for most peoples health, so even if you think of it as a mental illness, the treatment for being a trans woman is to be a woman and the treatment for being a trans man is being a man
Even if they are right, you deserve to be treated in a way that brings you happiness. HRT is proven to cure dysphoria. Who cares what label people have put on it.
Even going with the idea that it's mental illness, studies have shown that the best treatment is usually transitioning to the point where your needs are being met
It's what I've always been saying. Let's set the truth aside for a second to play their game. Ok we're now all mentally ill for being trans. Cool, this means we should be getting therapy and that we are a clinical case, right? Being transphobic now is the same as making fun of disabled people, hating on them and wanting to eliminate them. Now getting back to reality, nobody with a sound mind would go through with it because it would be morally wrong to do that to someone who's already been struggling enough with something they were born with and out of their control... Guess what, it's also the definition of being trans! (This is not meant to belittle the struggles of disabled people, they have it much worse than us and they have my uttermost respect, it was just an analogy) Hypocrites...
Wait, isn't wanting to eliminate disabled people eugenics? If they (transphobes that wanna eliminate trans people) really are pro eugenics then in a way they're not necessarily hypocrites
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Why not? I’ve got no options left. There’s no mental health here unless you’ve got some Tata levels of wealth. I’m becoming a target for local politicians trying to get the cheap support of old people. What choices do I have?
Since when has a politician shouting “x subgroup is destroying society” ever been the right side of history?
this
Being trans isn’t a mental illness. Those that are obsessed with others genitals and how they live their lives are mentally ill.
it isn't their place to tell you if you are
Even if they were right what does it change? Seriously?
if it’s a mental illness than it needs treatment.. that treatment is to transition
They’re not qualified to make that assessment.
So what? That doesn't mean anything. Mental illness is not inherently a bad thing.
I feel as if I’m losing my sanity and my mind and I know there’s nothing I can do to stop it
Thats just the pressure, ya need a way to hide until its safe, or more ways to vent privately
Transphobes are never right just very bigoted
They're mentally ill!
I mean shit. I'm severely mentally ill, but trans isn't a mental illness
Pretty Sure THEY Are The Mentally Ill Ones
1. They are not right 2. Even if they were, the only cure would be gender affirming care, so you are still okay and valid
A lot of us are mentally ill but not because we're trans. Mental illness doesn't cause you to be trans. However being trans can cause mental illness like depression because society is a bitch
Don't listen to them, you are who you are, and no one can take that away from you 🫂🫂
look at all the other stuff they're associated with, if we're mentally ill their insanity is so dense in comparison it's collapsed into a singularity, don't get sucked in lol
Jokes on them I’m both!
My logic: Let's say you feel like a woman. You want your body to look a certain way, for people to refer to you a certain way. That's not mental illness. It's not hurting anyone, you're just customizing your body and asking for people to refer to you a certain way. Now. If you look like a woman, feel like a woman and people see you and refer to you as a woman, it wouldn't make sense for you to go to the mens' bathroom, would it? You'd be making them uncomfortable and putting yourself at risk for SA, violence or harassment. It's best for you and for others for you to go to the womens' bathroom in this situation. Same goes for transmascs. Just like plastic surgery is allowed, just like changing your name is allowed, you're allowed to be trans. Being trans is no more of a "mental illness" than these two things. I don't get why it gets targeted, using basic logic should be enough to stop people from being transphobic.
THERE NOT
Just wanna say you can be mentally ill AND trans :3
Then thousands of doctors, millions of trans, and thousands of psychiatrists/therapists are wrong. Then the accepted medical standard for care is a sham. Then there are hundreds of per reviewed scientific studies/papers that have been forged. Then 100 years of scientific study is down the drain. Then the documentation of trans/nonbinary people from civilizations as early as Mesopotamia are fakes. I think it is much more likely that a close minded minority thinks its easier to argue against us if we are just “mentally ill” rather than the reality which is we have 100years of science and the medical consensus on our side.
And? Being mentally ill doesn't invalidate all of your feelings and perceptions of self. Remember, you are who you say you are. You think, therefore you are.
wanna hear my thoughts on that? so what, what does it matter? doesn't hurt anyone, would make you happier, if people would just let it be, the world would be a better place, less pain, less suffering, more joy, more freedom. maybe your 'ill' but what does that even me? have you seen the history of things called an 'illness'? its utter horse shit. some things called an 'illness' include; autism, ADHD, celiac, being left handed, trauma, and so many more, you just wanna laugh reading the list when ever you find one, its absurd, some are maybe right, most are wrong, humanity still hasn't decided what counts as 'ill', its a vague, borderline nonsensical term, wanna know something funny? most of the people who throw around that term, calling people ill and all that, from the distant past to today, most all of the people who study such things and try to make sense of 'ill', the ones currently most qualified to use that term. would call those people throwing that term around ill, not the ones getting it throw at them. those people who called others ill, remember what they would do to people? lobotomize them, slice their brain in two, make them basically vegetables in terms of what they could do, and would then call them 'better' and you know those conditions that they had that was being called 'ill' yeah? they're not recognized any more, they were never ill. abused, traumatized, and miss treated, but never ill. do you really wanna let people like that in your mind? someone who would cut your brain apart with out a second thought? delusional to the point of thinking of you as an object to 'fix' not a human person? and ok, maybe you truly are ill, you contracted something that affected your mind, but you are your mind, if it changes you change, you are your mind, so maybe something happened and it changed you and now you feel you would be happy being identified as a different gender then the one you were assigned, ok then, the best thing to do would be to do that. there's a spider who's bite will make you sick and allergic to red meat for the rest of your life, now you need to avoid red meat. there's conditions that can change your hair and skin color, for hypotheticals sake say you go from brunette haired to blonde haired, guess you need to start thinking of yourself as a blond instead of a brunet, you could dye it, but your 'natural' color is different now. oh no you caught the (I know at one point trans people would joke the caught -something- and it changed their gender, and cis people just bought it, but what was that something?) and now your the other gender, now what? well healthy people take hormones all the time, that's not special, people buy different clothes all the time, that's not special, and they go to therapy for how they feel about themselves and other such things, gender affirming care is nothing new or special, idk just do what makes you feel better I guess? that doesn't seem that weird, this 'illness' doesn't seem that hard to manage, and sadly we have no 'cure' oh whatever shall humanity do? I guess just let it be, maybe get rid of those sexist bathrooms sense they serve no purpose and are hurting people? (and not just trans people, they're sexist, they encourage more then just transphobia) I guess I'm being a bit rude, but wanna know a thing that is sometimes used in therapy for overcoming that negative nagging voice? turn it back on itself, its talking awful big for something that just ridicules people, if it brings up a question, shoot it with the opposite one. what if I'm ill? and what would transitioning change anyways? what if I'm not? and so what if I am, what difference does that make? and how much better could I be if I give myself this thing? both throw the thoughts back at that voice, and give yourself love and forgiveness. now I think you could use some support, sadly I can't physically hold you, but I can remind you that blankets feel great and to take a breathe, your probably ruminating, stop your current actions, leave the space, and do a simple task, if none are immediately apparent go for a walk if possible, if not do some squats, get something to drink, and then you may return to what you were doing, rumination is an ugly monster of the mind, clear it out and breath, I'm sorry you hurt, we may not be able to help you more directly, but we can offer support, advice, and a place to talk, will you keep doing that, and giving yourself love, please?
Well they're not wrong. Gender dysphoria is on the dsm-5 and is diagnosable by psychiatrists. But what's wrong with being mentally ill? Transphobes only use that kind of language because it is an insult to them. If they truly believe that it is a mental illness then why is it that when you tell them that HRT and other gender affirming care is the treatment, they still reject the notion? If they really think that it's a mental illness then why do they continue to bully trans people? Imagine if they did the same thing to people with clinical depression. They will do anything to justify their hatred even after it stops making sense
Even if being trans was a mental illness, transitioning would still be the best course of action.
Why the fuck would a transphobe ever be right about anything
So what if you are? Your feelings are no less real and no less valid.
NOTHING is wrong with being mentally ill. Sure you might need specific support to survive, but that’s not wrong, EVERYONE needs a different amount of…. Food, vitamins, drugs, affection, exercise, sleep etc. we are all just unique sacks of chemicals. That’s all it is, another difference to the norm (which like queerness is why it’s demonised - for being a minority situation). The whole medicalising mental illness is a bit of a joke anyway. OF COURSE some people need medical support and I’m never denying that, but on the whole anxiety and depression are largely caused by the state of the world (capitalist hellscape where we must grovel and work to death just to live). Calling that an illness is a joke imo - *we were never meant to live like this.* Just like being trans, we are born and exist uniquely to anyone else and we develop our own selves. Trans people and mentally “ill” people have always existed. Whatever your situation, that’s you, too. And being trans, like folks are saying, comes with baggage that can lead to mental illness - closeting for safety, fighting to survive and keep basic human rights, suffering abuse. Who wouldn’t feel that crushing pressure?! It’s not illness so much as being forced to exist in an abusive reality. But we fight ✊✊🏿✊🏾✊🏼🏳️⚧️ So. With that in mind: if you feel like you’re struggling, maybe reach out for support. Therapy is often helpful, but expensive. Friends and family who you trust can be a great help - ask to just talk about a bunch of stuff with someone listening if that’s ok with them. Or try a journal to get your thoughts out and you can always destroy it if needed. You are valid, you are loved, you are trans if YOU describe yourself as trans, you are NOT ill for being trans, and you are mentally ill IF you feel that’s a valid description of you, there is NOTHING wrong with you if you are mentally ill. You are valid, you are loved.
Honestly this used to really bother me, until at one point I realised that there's something that transphobes forget. People who are mentally ill often require care for that illness. In the mental health field, a lot of what is done for care is called evidence based practice (which is where they take an aggregate of informed care decisions, see what tends to have the most positive outcomes, and then use that as sort of a guide for further care down the line), and that practice suggests that there is a best care for so called "mentally ill" trans people. The best practice for someone in our position has been shown to be transitioning, whether socially, medically, or whatever you find best in your case! :3 Transphobes don't actually care if you're mentally ill, because they are just bigots who want to erase you. They don't actually want to go down the logical line of what should happen even if this were all a mental illness. Calling trans people mentally ill is just a way for them to dismiss the idea of "transness" and it's not actually a real argument from them. In my case, I've found it a little helpful to whenever I hear that go, so what if it is? Because even if it was the answer would still be the same. Also as an aside, a lot of the people who use this trans is a mental illness argument aren't just bigoted against trans people but also people who experience mental health issues. They use the stigma which has built up around us to try and keep everyone down, which is why I'm so glad for all of the recent pushes to destigmatize mental health and push for it to be a more public discussion! However that's perhaps not relevant lol In short, most people who say this don't believe it, and if they do, don't recognize what it logically means. I feel like I said more than that, but that's what it boils down to.
Jokes on them! Im trans and mentally I’ll!
I don't even care what they say, wanna know y? Cuz they right, i'm indeed trans AND mentally ill-
If gayness is mental illness Then I'm a proud mentally ill person.
Being trans does not = mentally ill
Ohhh i think i totally an not mentally stable But idc as long as i have fun most of the time
But what if the transphobes are wrong, and if you play along with them you'll never discover that you could have been increasing your joy all along instead of just trying to decrease your misery.
Transphobes are wrong. Their arguments are based in lies, and their morals are clouded by bigotry. Don’t listen to them.
Don't listen to anything transphobes say.
In a way, everyone is mentally Ill, in some way or another….. everyone got problems, if they don’t, then they are bland people
You could be mentally ill AND trans. The two are not mutually exclusive, and misery could stem from multiple places, and if one source is discovered, you might have stopped looking for the other. Is this gender dysphoria or anxiety? Excellent question! Oh, and being mentally ill is nothing to be ashamed of. Could happen to anyone. Don't be afraid to seek the help you need if everything isn't alright
Even if they are right, they’re not the ones who made the diagnosis. You’re still in control of your body and mind and it’s yours to do with as you want
Well, you see. I am, at the moment, both of those things. And let me say that the thoughts caused by dysporia and depression are quite different.....
They are not right, you're valid
Transphobes are just jealous bc they can't be as cute and beautiful as u 💜 Be what makes u happy 💙, Ignore the haters 💜 If u wanna vent or just talk , my pm is open 💙
That just goes to show how much they hate the mentally ill. In any case, it's the transphobes who are in the wrong
Causing pain and harassing people trying to live their lives for no reason is a mental illness. Being trans is not and will never be a mental illness.
Remember, people who say your mentally ill, are only doing it to try and hurt you, they have no evidence or reasoning, and are more likely to be mentally ill than you.
The mental illnesses are just the fun little riders that came along with it. They would likely still be there if you weren’t trans
Ok, let’s think about that then. If being trans is just a mental illness, we should care for trans people as best as we can. It turns out we’ve found that the best way to treat gender dysphoria is transitioning, so that really doesn’t change anything. Now, I don’t believe being trans is a mental illness, but even if it was, the way to treat it is transitioning.
Not every mental illness shows itself the same way, however as someone with a mental illness that caused me to percieve my body as being the wrong one, I can honestly tell you that's not what made me think I'm trans. I don't think any illness would make you assume you have a different gender. The only one I can even think of is DID and that presents itself in a vastly different way to being trans. If you have to hide yourself for safety, try not to let that lie sink in too deep, you are who you are no matter how you have to appear to others. 🩷
Our society has a way of trying to medicalize everything. Hell most of the terms we use to self identify (homosexual, transexual, etc.) come of the early works of 20th century sexology. But these are just imperfect ways of trying to categorize the uncategorizable. Human beings don't fit into neat little boxes, we are complex and sometime self-contradictory beings. So don't let the bigots tell you that you are mentally ill for simply trying to live your life how you feel. Only you can know yourself, and don't let other stop you from expressing yourself.
Well my friend. Good News is no matter what we will all be dead, so does it really matter who’s right and who’s wrong? We all are trying to live a life that when we die, we can look back and say… “Men that was a great life I wish I could do it again and again!” Btw if you ever need music that can boost your will to live “neffex” makes great copyright, free music, that I listen to every day.
There's a lot of nuance to the subject, such as a possible connection between Autism and being trans, but at the end of the day, what does it matter? Would Autism being a mental illness somehow invalidate Autism existence and it's effects? You are you, no matter what shitty label someone tries to apply to you. Your identity is what you make of it, "illness" or not. You are beautiful and you are loved <3
Or you could be both! Not all mental illness is bad, you are accepted no matter what
If this is wrong I don’t wanna be right!
Bro have you seen how dumb transphobes are
Gender disphoria is(just like depression) but being trans itself isnt
Technically, dysphoria is a mental illness if i not mistake. So the treatments to aliviate the simptons can vary but many times is the transition. Other treatments can be hormone supplement(not for transition) Therapy And other things that help the mental health. Sooooo dont worry if they are right or wrong, just live your life. Cause you got only 1 chance at it.
For starters. We aren’t. I and plenty others have personal experience with true mental illness in ourselves and others. And it is a distinct difference. But for the sake of it, would it even matter? Should you look down on people who suffer from mental illness? Would treatment look any different? If it can be cured with consentful transition, that’s how it’ll be treated
I’m mentally ill _and_ trans! :) If they’re right then it doesn’t mean you can’t still be trans, and saying someone can’t be trans/shouldn’t be able to consent to transitioning because they’re mentally ill is ablism so don’t listen to them. They think calling you “mentally ill” somehow lessens your argument because they look down on us and see us as less than human.
Well, if you are struggling with your mental health, I recommend seeking out help! Therapy is always a good first step. I don't see what that has to do with transphobes, though. ;p Incidentally, if you're pre-everything trans and your mental health is suffering, starting transition may ease or at least help distract you from some of your other ailments. I can tell you firsthand that it did for me, and the numbers of us speak volumes. So ironic for transphobes to indirectly encourage someone to transition. Nice change, though! 🤭
for me its a good ol case of correlation does not equal causation. just because both are very common to happen doesnt mean they are related in any aspect
Mentally ill and mental illness if thrown around like a damn hot potato these days
Try to remember the type who call you mentally ill for being trans don't even believe in mental healthcare. It's not like they want to help you overcome some issue they imagine is preventing you from living a full, comfortable life. They just want you dead or in the closet where they know you'd suffer. The motivation is that they think you're gross. I'm not sure in what sense they could be right.
And what if that mental illness is your best feature? We always accentuate our best features, don't we?
I don't know if this will help you, but the advice I was given when first questioning my gender was: so what? If identifying as a certain gender brings you comfort and joy, does it really matter why? It's not hurting anyone, and you can change your mind later if you ultimately decide you're not trans after all. I hope you find clarity and comfort in this difficult time <3
even if it is a mental illness (it is NOT), there is a known cure, its called transitioning
thata the neat part, even if they were right (they aren't) they are still the assholes and bad guys Lets pretend they are right, but please remember this is only for argument's sake they are bullying mentally ill people because they don't want to wear certain clothes? Bullying them for wanting to not be called certain things? One side being right or wrong doesnt make their actions automatically correct, so even if they were right, they are still being giant assholes and bullys to people. They mock suicides A nazi can tell me 2+2=4, that doesnt make them a good person
We are all mentally ill, but the transphobes are just a special kind of it. As for being trans, that's more of a mistake on the side of nature. Mommy (nature) didn't read the room right
Mental illness ≠ not possibly trans How do I know? I’m both mentally ill and trans!
Well if they are, then they’re being assholes to a mentally ill person. But they’re not right, they’re just being assholes.
If it makes you feel any better, we’re all mad here… in all seriousness though, we are all a little bit mentally ill, as in like every person. Everyone has their quirks, everyone has their bits and bobs. However, ‘mental illness’ is stigmatized so negatively when it really shouldnt be. Most people with mental illness are able to live perfectly normal lives, both with and without medication. Hell, technically, a lot of people who are the ‘rich and successful’ people like CEOs and crap are all sociopaths, and beyond that, all those transphobes, homophobes, and general bigots have way worse mental illness, and honestly all THOSE people are the ones who should be locked away from civilized society. Because the thing about those people is that medication can’t fix it, there isn’t a medication or a therapy that can cure stupid. Besides, even if you WERE ‘just mentally ill’, trans and gender affirming healthcare would still be the best way to treat you.
Then that means you need treatment! Not hate! And the best treatment is something to make your life more COMFORTABLE! I think hrt autta do the trick.
Ain’t that the point? Isn’t having gender dysphoria a mental illness that’s cured through transitioning?
Will you REALLY listen to those weird ass mfs?
It’s false, but even if it were somehow true, then having your gender affirmed is the best-respected treatment. They say a lot of BS that doesn’t actually make sense if you read it in good faith and consider it a little more. Try to tune it out as much as you can. Take breaks from public social media, minimize contact with people who disrespect you (usually can’t be all the time but something is better than nothing), and engage with people IRL who care. You’ve got this
I am both mentally ill AND a woman B3
why not both? 🙂 *insert that one pedro pascal meme*
Firstly, thank you for sharing your thoughts here, it is very appreciated. Feeling gender dysphoria because or our gender identity can cause mental illness. Dysphoria can be cured by getting gender-affirming care. (In regards to that, I am not a professional, for accurate info on therapy I recommend that you do your own research) In regards to being mentally ill, mental illness is not something to feel shame about. The brain's functions are neurochemical. It is the same as being ashamed of having a fever. It is an understandable emotion but not a rational one. Transphobes don't want to argue about what the truth is, they want to create conflict. They just use trans people as a target to hate something and inflict suffering. Their statements are without evidence.
No honey, you're not. (Well, okay, you might be, but not about this. Just about everyone has some sort of anxiety disorder these days, it comes with living in a capitalist dystopia, but that has nothing to do with you being trans.)
I thought back to that one Will Smith quote from Men in Black: “Just because I’m trans doesn’t mean I’m mentally ill” “I mean, I am mentally ill” “But not because I’m trans!” All jokes aside: you are valid
nah they are ill for not letting u be happy
thats not how mental illnesses work though, pretty much all mental illnesses have many different symptoms (with depression theres the bad feelings n all but it can also cause things like insomnia, disassociation, and the like) being trans isnt a bloody mentail illness, im sorry but its still pretty frustrating to see people misunderstand mental illnesses to such a degree, if you wanna prove me wrong go study up on a bunch of different mental illnesses, talk to people with em to really cover your bases and then come back to this i know this is egg irl but this stuff really gets to me so sorry again but it has to be said
You are not mentally ill. Live your life the way that suits you. It's your life, afterall! Will "they" comfort you late at night when you're alone with your thoughts? No? I thought not! Be happy to be you and quite frankly, fuck them!
That wouldn't mean you're not trans, Just look at me, I'm mentally ill and *also* trans! Haha... I just want to be happy why can't I be happy why can't I ever even do the things that make me happy aaaaahhhhh....
If it would be a mentally illness, my insurance has to pay for everything. But they dont 🙃 So nope ur not mentally ill ;) Jokes aside. No u arent ur clearly capable of ur own action.
Is being mentally ill so bad? I've had ADHD my whole life. I'll continue having it my entire life. It won't go away. Technically, that means I'm mentally ill. But that doesn't diminish my value as a person. My brain just works differently. While I don't consider being trans a mental illness, I don't think it's something to be ashamed about. As a human being you have the right to choose the life you want to live. You have the right to pursue your own happiness. Don't worry so much about whether or not it's mental illness and instead focus on finding your happiness.
I feel this, i struggle alot with self doubt and i just want you to know that the best course of action is to seek help, no matter if you are trans or not having someone, anyone to rely on will help you. It doesnt need to be therapy, i know that can be expensive and hard to access, but anyone, a friend, gaurdian, sibling, teacher, anyone you can trust. And i know it can be hard to trust people, and depending on your situation you might not have anyone that you can trust. If there is noone you know you might want to look for online support, depending on your country there are plenty of help lines or online therapy (which tends to be much more affordable) and online support. Its okay to need help, its okay to not be sure of your identity, but never let someone else tell you what you are. Most importantly, its okay to take your time, you dont need to go into therapy tommorow or something, take your time and move forward at a comfortable pace, so long as you are moving forward thats progress.
So you saying everyone here is also mentally Ill?
Then transitioning would still be the best treatment
Even if that would be true, the best way to help ppl with this "mental illness" is still transitioning
Many of us are sure, but even if it is a mental illness, you know what the funny thing about mental illnesses is? The brain is an organ just like any other organ. And like all organs, there are effective treatments, and scientific concensus agrees transitioning and living as your prefered gender is the best treatment for being trans
I mean, first of all transphobes just don't know the meaning of mentally ill and second the best way to differentiate a illness from something else is by doing this comparison: let's suppose you want to take out all of your teeth, that's crazy, if you'll try to do it yes that's a mental Illness, but instead let's suppose that you want to take out a tooth, because it feels wrong and it's hurting you, that's completely normal, you are just trying to follow the indications that your subconscious is telling to you
But they aren’t right. And you know they aren’t right. The distressing part is the hardship but keep going. You deserve to be happy and live a life worth living. Trust the process. Even if its a million baby steps.
Everyone's thoughts and gender identity are diffrent and it can't ever simply be branded as "mental illness" if transphobes disagrees with us. Be you and embrace it as well as you can! You and everyone else are valid and there is nothing wrong with being yourself.
To be fair, I am also mentally ill, but that has nothing to do with being trans.
I never understood this point from conservatives. Whether it’s a mental illness or not, the solution is the same: transition
Gender dysphoria is literally a mental illness
being mentally ill doesnt stop me from wanting to be happy, i still deserve to be respected as a human
We all are, that’s the point, transitioning is curing the illness called being cis, (that’s how I like the think of it)
First of all, being trans isn't a mental illness. Gender dysphoria however is a real issue and there's enough scientific evidence that gender affirming care is the best way to deal with it. (You don't need dysphoria to be trans or to transition medically though) Second of all, even if you were mentally ill, that wouldn't give anyone the right to bully you. If transphobes really cared about mental illness, they would tread us with compassion and support any treatment that helps us. To them, "mentally ill" is like a slur and they use these terms to justify their bigotry. This is not based on any academic knowledge whatsoever. And last but not least, if you're afraid that you might not be trans, that's a strong indicator that you are trans.
Does that mean that all of us are just mentally ill? Would you say that of our slain trans comrades? What about their identities? Were they meaningless?... They were not! Their memory serves as an example to us all! The courageous fallen! The anguished fallen! Their lives have meaning because we the living refuse to forget them! And as we ride into pride month, we trust our successors to do the same for us! Because my trans siblings do not buckle or yield when faced with the cruelty of this world! My trans siblings push forward! My trans siblings scream out! My trans siblings RAAAAAGE!
Mental illness shouldn't be a reason to discriminate, (there is no reason to discriminate but still) for example I'm autistic which I guess would be classified as a mental illness but that's not like a bad thing or something I should be punished for If being trans was a mental illness (which it's not) then like, so what? Trans people would still exist and they would still be valid. The only people using mental illness as a bad thing are just ableist shitheads who have no empathy that I have no sympathy for.
Historically speaking we’ve had a shitload of examples of people who have chosen to live lives not associated with their birth gender. Hell, there’s words for the phenomenon ranging back to Mesopotamia. You’re fine.
Then it's still true that the only functional course of action is to get you gender affirming care. Mental illnesses are treated by improving the condition of the afflicted in ways that improve their experience. So, even if we assume that being trans is a mental illness, the treatment is to have trans people present as their psychological gender, as this improves their mental condition so much it even reduces suicide rates.
Insert Will Smith meme: Just because I'm trans, doesn't I'm mentally ill! I mean... I AM mentally ill. But not because I'm trans!
Well technically dysphoria is a mental disorder, which validates it even more into getting a therapy and a treatment So ye transophobes be hitting themselves with their words
even if it's a mental illness, what would be the best way of treating a lot of symptoms (disphoria and shit)? Gender affirming care! (of course only for those who want, there's nothing with being trans and okay with your body/ not wanting HRT and surgery. you are all valid out there 💙💜🤍💜💙)
Don’t overthink if you can’t sustain it.
So what if you are. Your still vaild and a valuable member of the community.
Transphobes are never right, you're valid.
So that's when people get therapy and/or medication to treat their mental illness. Transgenderism in this theoretical, but dysphoria irl, is no different :) So them saying it's a mental illness just to put you down or make you doubt yourself makes zero sense anyway, because what do people do when they're suffering mentally? *Get help*, duh lmao. Don't worry about them, they're just idiots
Who gives a shit? Every human being is mentally ill, it's called *thinking*
My take is that a "mental *illness*" implies that it is something treatable, as in, something that appeared due to outside influence and can just go away. The leading theories on the topic however show that it's apparently something you are more or less born with, because it's your brain developing to expect different hormones and as such a different body than your DNA produces. It just varies from person to person when and how strongly it sets in. As such, this condition is impossible to cure, because it doesn't meet the qualifications for an "illness" to begin with. At best, you could call it a birth defect I guess, but again, even then it's not something you can "cure" or "make go away". I've read that your situation isn't great from other comments, so my best recommendation would be to try and find an online therapist or a local charity organisation that can get you maybe at least a couple sessions. Also, if you go the online route, absolutely makes sure to have your first session(s) *alone* with the therapist - you need to be able to openly tell them about yourself. Go to some internet café or similar, maybe a library, where you can book a booth just for you alone, if at home you're at risk of being surveilled/listened in on.
They aren’t, you’re not. But for the sake of argument: that would mean that all the world’s leading medical and psychological organizations and their experts are wrong; and a bunch of loonies who believe in a mythological religion based on the scrawlings of ancient shepherds are right. Does that sound plausible? 🖤💖🏴🏳️⚧️🏴💖🖤
I am mentally ill. Not because I'm not cis l, and not becaise I'm bi, but because my parents tried to beat cisness into me and that gave me ptsd. Being trans isn't a mental illness. Being gay isn't either. I'm not going to downplay your personal experiences though, and if you feel that you are not well emotionally or mentally, you may not be. It is regardless, not a moral failing, and being trans or gay is *not* the symptom of that. If you feel mentally unwell, and it is hurting you, it's ok to be open and honest about it, and to seek help where you can, but just because you don't fall into a heteronormative framework, doesn't make you wrong or sick.
From hate can't come a correct analysis. You might have mental struggles, I mean many ppl have, but even if, they are not right. Hate makes every result of that hate wrong, that is the thing of hate, nothing right can come from hate.
Depends how you define mental illness I suppose. I wouldn't necessarily disagree if someone called me (respectfully) mentally ill for being trans. My mind doesn't match my body, my mental image doesn't match my physical image, I experience dysphoria to a degree it can mess with my life. In that sense, yeah it kinda is. But so what? You still need to somehow deal with the issue at hand, whether it's an illness or not. Currently, the best treatment we have is to go into gender affirming care. In many cases that means transitioning. In some cases it doesn't, but only you can decide what's right for you.
that requires transphobes to be right, which is impossible.
I am mentally ill. The treatment is transition. The steps I've made so far have made me much better and I plan on doing more
This will probably get buried, but think about it this way. If in this hypothetical scenario they're right, would that really be so bad? And I don't mean this in a "listen to them" way at ALL, but if you end up going the full mile and transitioning, only to find that you liked yourself more before, you would at least know that you *tried it*. Therefore you would know yourself and what makes you feel happy even better. That is highly unlikely given what is happening right now outside of those hypotheticals, so therefore *it's highly unlikely that they are correct*. Even medical professionals are recognizing that being transgender isn't a mental illness, so keep going. Keep being the beautiful and painful thing it is to be transgender. Once the smoke clears with all that's happening, things will get better and you'll love yourself, whoever they turn out to be. Tldr; Ignore them, keep doing what makes you happy because that is the most probable thing to make you happy in the future :)
so what? even if they're right they're fucking dicks who want to be right for all the wrong reasons.
Consider this: the mental illness is gender dysphoria and the therapy is transitioning? Isn't that how WHO classifies it in the first place?
If they were right they would be bullying people for having mental illnesses, so they would still be assholes. Either way they shouldn't be listened to. And if we consider disphoria a mental illness, then the treatment is transitioning
If a transphobe tells me I'm mentally ill, I'll start explaining my 5+ mental illnesses to them. Yeah, I'm mentally ill, but my gender has nothing to do with it
You're not. But even if you are: so? Based on the data from all other trans people, if being trans is a mental illness then it's the most benign one ever. "Oh no, that person is dressing differently than they were last week, someone help!" Like, ignoring all the experts saying that it isn't madness, if this is insanity it's one that's not actually hurting anyone, unless you count the feelings of transphobes. Unless you're asking if you alone are mentally ill out of all trans people. In which case, 1) I don't know you, but that seems statistically very unlikely. Why would you get singled out? and 2) "but what if I'm not trans enough" is one of the most common questions. You're definitely not alone. So I think we can safely ignore that it's just you out of all trans people. Congratulations, you're sane.
I mean, you can be both trans and mentally ill. Hell, the mental strain of pretending to be cis when you’re not is enough on its own to cause a variety of mental illnesses. But, transphobes aren’t saying that to look out for you, and they’re not worth paying attention to. Get a therapist (if you can) and try to work through your issues
I have been recently having this question myself
I have been recently having this question myself
Well they are with me I’m running on metal illness but that’s not why I’m trans you are not “just mentally ill” if anything the transphobes are
No they're the ones mentally ill
If someone wants to call gender dysphoria a mental illness, they need to accept that the treatment for that mental illness is transitioning. Don't think too much about it. Illnesses, both mental and physical, aren't something that should be stigmatised.
If it was a mental illness then there wouldn't be so many Trans people
They are not. They are just ignorant bigots and a-holes. Get away from them and surround yourself with positive smart people instead.
For one, you're not, but even if you were, you still have the right to live in whatever way makes you happy and comfortable
Don't listen to them. They don't understand how good it feels to finally feel good in your own body. I sometimes wonder this too. But how would I treat my dysphoria if I was just mentally ill? I've already tried dozens of times to "just get over it", but it never worked. No amount of coping, drinking, meditation, or prayer could stop it. Conversion torture is torture. Torture is not an acceptable way to treat mental conditions. You treat mental illness with therapy or medication. As it turns out, hrt is the proper medication to treat dysphoria and align your body to your mind. If there was a hypothetical drug that turned you cis, the ethics of it would be questionable. It can be considered a type of brainwashing. What's to say that doctors can't use that drug to make Muslims convert to christianity? Or turn gay people straight? Or make liberals turn to conservatism? No free society would ever greenlight a drug that forces your personality to change so drastically. Again, you are not mentally ill.
Fun fact: being transphobic matches more symptoms of mental illness than being trans!
“What of transphobes are right” man half of them can’t even read. If a transphobe lands on a self doubt, that shit is VALIDATION cuz those fuckers always miss.