Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Do you think transexualism is a mental illness?

Options
135

Comments

  • Options
    #62
    Seaneh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,300 ✭✭✭✭Seaneh


    I am not saying that Gender Identity Disorder isn't real, or is something people should just live with, I am saying, like other psychiatric disorders, Medical intervention is the last thing that should ever be done.


  • Options
    #63
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    Seaneh wrote: »
    When facing a life of not accepting yourself, hating the body you are in, depression, isolation, substance dependence, rejection from your family/community, suicidal tendencies, and a host of other problems and someone offers you a magic treatment plan to solve all your problems, it's extremely hard to not go for it.
    Especially when that is being touted as the only possible "cure" for your particular set of issues.

    I just think it's not a well enough researched area yet.

    There's been considerable research into the area of transgenderism, from psychiatric and psychology to an indepth neurological study. They are finding out that, as I've already stated, transgenderism is biological and not psychological.


  • Options
    #64
    Bipolar Joe
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Bipolar Joe


    ItsThatManAgain wrote: »
    It's a complete and utter discontent or discomfort with one's body, dysphoria if you must label. As for my own life, being perceived as male is alittle distressing at times, but I've tried to learn coping mechanisms. I can't say I understand the question in bold. If I'm right in guessing, I've been socially conditioned as a male, so I'm no different from the next. Since identifing as female, I've been able to let go of some of my male behaviours.

    I hate my body, too, clearly for different reasons. What I mean with the bold questions is how is your day-to-day life affected? What things that you associate with being a chick do you do or don't do, versus things that you associate with being a dude that you do or don't do? Like, I'm a guy, I like what people see as chick flicks, sad songs, some pretty girly music I guess and I don't understand the male sensibilities, but all in all I'm still a guy.


  • Options
    #65
    noxqs
    Registered Users Posts: 413 ✭✭noxqs


    What the hell do you have to care?

    Peoples sexuality doesn't matter at all. Unless its catholic priests.

    Do you meet heterosexuals and question them about their love life? Why is gays/transsexuals sex life not sacred in the same way ? And more importantly a non-factor?

    (No one believes in God anymore anyways).


  • Options
    #66
    Bipolar Joe
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Bipolar Joe


    This isn't a thread on morality.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #67
    Seaneh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,300 ✭✭✭✭Seaneh


    ItsThatManAgain wrote: »
    There's been considerable research into the area of transgenderism, from psychiatric and psychology to an indepth neurological study. They are finding out that, as I've already stated, transgenderism is biological and not psychological.

    I didn't say it was psychological, I would be of the position it is psychiatric, even with biological causes (much the same as Bi-Polar, Major Depressive or Multiple Personality disorders).


  • Options
    #68
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    Sid_Justice wrote: »
    I'm not sure if I follow your logic. Is your point, her is a biological, organic 'cause' of the condition therefore it's not a psychiatric disorder?

    There are many hypotheses for organic causes of depression (e.g. neuro-hormonal/chemical imbalance) but that doesn't effect whether depression is a psychiatric disorder or not.

    Have I taken you up wrong?

    From what I've read, yes I'm saying that transgenderism has biological origins.


  • Options
    #69
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    Bipolar Joe wrote: »
    I hate my body, too, clearly for different reasons. What I mean with the bold questions is how is your day-to-day life affected? What things that you associate with being a chick do you do or don't do, versus things that you associate with being a dude that you do or don't do? Like, I'm a guy, I like what people see as chick flicks, sad songs, some pretty girly music I guess and I don't understand the male sensibilities, but all in all I'm still a guy.

    It affects me through intense feelings of distress with how I actually look or am perceived. (I know some might say perception can be changed, but sadly this can't) What I associate with being a male is having facial hair and shaving, but that's more day to day routines. Associating myself with being a female is harder to describe and might give way to pigeon holing. Though you could say it's how I relate to people and view myself in this world. As self identified female in a males body, I feel robbed of being able to have children in the same way people born females would.


  • Options
    #70
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 41,021 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    Seaneh wrote: »
    I am not saying that Gender Identity Disorder isn't real, or is something people should just live with, I am saying, like other psychiatric disorders, Medical intervention is the last thing that should ever be done.

    So you think that psychiatric treatment is enough to treat it?

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



  • Options
    #71
    Seaneh
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,300 ✭✭✭✭Seaneh


    mango salsa wrote: »
    So you think that psychiatric treatment is enough to treat it?

    I think it's possible, yes. I can't be sure but I do know that based on the data provided to me, medical interventions have not, on the whole, proved to be successful thus far.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #72
    psychward
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,187 ✭✭✭psychward


    A bit of both which is probably why in most countries it takes years of counseling to figure out what to do about someones identity problem. Some people will think they are the wrong sex because they are nuts and some people will understandably have their sanity tested because they are in a body of the wrong sex.
    You just have to look at medical records showing people born with deformed genitalia and both or half of both genitals to see that it can't be dismissed credibly as a 100% psychological ''imaginary'' problem. It must take a severe extreme level of commitment to get your johnson cut off. I couldn't really argue with someones sincerity if they went down that road. Ouch.


  • Options
    #73
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    Seaneh wrote: »
    I think it's possible, yes. I can't be sure but I do know that based on the data provided to me, medical interventions have not, on the whole, proved to be successful thus far.

    Your argument seems alittle unfounded. I've met many a trans person, in which so called medical intervention has drastically improved the quality of their likes and I have first have experience of thise dispite the secondary issues we may experience.


  • Options
    #74
    Bipolar Joe
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Bipolar Joe


    ItsThatManAgain wrote: »
    It affects me through intense feelings of distress with how I actually look or am perceived. (I know some might say perception can be changed, but sadly this can't) What I associate with being a male is having facial hair and shaving, but that's more day to day routines. Associating myself with being a female is harder to describe and might give way to pigeon holing.

    If you want to take the conversation to PM I'm all for it. I get why it would be tough to explain the inside of your brain, I can't do it properly. What strikes me is the body perception. I really, really hate mine with a passion, to the point of loathing but I don't know what I'd do with it if I had the chance to change or if I'd be any happier with other people's perception of it, which would make me even more bitter and resentful most likely.


  • Options
    #75
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    Bipolar Joe wrote: »
    If you want to take the conversation to PM I'm all for it. I get why it would be tough to explain the inside of your brain, I can't do it properly. What strikes me is the body perception. I really, really hate mine with a passion, to the point of loathing but I don't know what I'd do with it if I had the chance to change or if I'd be any happier with other people's perception of it, which would make me even more bitter and resentful most likely.

    But how do you perceive yourself. Is it the wrong gender? Under weight or over weight? Not enough muscle?


  • Options
    #76
    Annasopra
    Registered Users Posts: 41,021 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    psychward wrote: »
    A bit of both which is probably why in most countries it takes years of counseling to figure out what to do about someones identity problem. Some people will think they are the wrong sex because they are nuts and some people will understandably have their sanity tested because they are in a body of the wrong sex.
    You just have to look at medical records showing people born with deformed genitalia and both or half of both genitals to see that it can't be dismissed credibly as a 100% psychological ''imaginary'' problem. It must take a severe extreme level of commitment to get your johnson cut off. I couldn't really argue with someones sincerity if they went down that road. Ouch.

    Transsexuality and intersex are not the same thing

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



  • Options
    #77
    Sonics2k
    Registered Users Posts: 8,239 ✭✭✭Sonics2k


    *reads opening post*

    *reads a few most posts*

    /leaves thread.


  • Options
    #78
    Bipolar Joe
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Bipolar Joe


    ItsThatManAgain wrote: »
    But how do you perceive yourself. Is it the wrong gender? Under weight or over weight? Not enough muscle?

    It's hard to pin down what it is, just that it's not right. I am underweight and look like a piece of boiled spaghetti, but I'm not sure if that's the issue. I guess what I'm curious about is defining and finding the "Problem".


  • Options
    #79
    psychward
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,187 ✭✭✭psychward


    mango salsa wrote: »
    Transsexuality and intersex are not the same thing

    Regardless of technical definitions , it proves that sexual identity problems are not as simple and clearly visible as diagnosing a broken arm.


  • Options
    #80
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    Bipolar Joe wrote: »
    It's hard to pin down what it is, just that it's not right. I am underweight and look like a piece of boiled spaghetti, but I'm not sure if that's the issue. I guess what I'm curious about is defining and finding the "Problem".

    That's how it was for me for many years. My gender identity was almost impossible to pin down. The likes of attending an all male secodary school made things so much worse.
    psychward wrote: »
    Regardless of technical definitions , it proves that sexual identity problems are not as simple and clearly visible as diagnosing a broken arm.

    The term generally is transgender, which is inclusive of the entire spectrum of gender identity. Intersex is a term given to those born with ambiguous gentialia.


  • Options
    #81
    Bipolar Joe
    Registered Users Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Bipolar Joe


    ItsThatManAgain wrote: »
    That's how it was for me for many years. My gender identity was almost impossible to pin down. The likes of attending an all male secodary school made things so much worse.

    So what was it that made the fact concrete?


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #82
    Callipo
    Registered Users Posts: 173 ✭✭Callipo


    Pedo stuff is illness.

    The rest isn't.


  • Options
    #83
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    It wasn't a case of one thing that made it concrete, but all those small things. What made it concrete was being able to accept myself.


  • Options
    #84
    deirdre_dub
    Registered Users Posts: 1,229 ✭✭✭deirdre_dub


    Do I think transexualism is a mental illness? Actually, I think a better question is why is the OP asking that question in after hours, rather than in a psychiatric forum (i.e. a forum containing people actually qualified to give a proper answer).

    I believe the answer that the psychiatric profession would give is "technically, yes, because it's listed in the DSM as such, but in reality, no".

    As others have pointed out, this isn't the first time that the DSM has gotten something wrong...


  • Options
    #85
    deirdre_dub
    Registered Users Posts: 1,229 ✭✭✭deirdre_dub


    Seaneh wrote: »
    The suicide rate in post-op transexuals is insanely high, the adiction rates are insanely high, the depression rate is insanely high, the instances of people starting hormone therapy and changing their mind is pretty high, in short, the current treatments aren't really effective.
    Spunge wrote: »
    Any links ?
    Seaneh wrote: »
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40279043/ns/health-health_care/t/transgender-americans-face-high-suicide-risk/#.TrcCVUOF9tM and others for suicide rates.
    Umm - as far as I can see, that link doesn't support any of your assertions. Yes the suicide rate amongst trans people is insanely high, but that rate decreases dramatically once the trans person receives treatment (be it hormones, surgery, whatever).


  • Options
    #86
    deirdre_dub
    Registered Users Posts: 1,229 ✭✭✭deirdre_dub


    mango salsa wrote: »
    Transsexuality and intersex are not the same thing
    There is a possibility, however, that transgenderism is a type of intersexism.


  • Options
    #87
    Callipo
    Registered Users Posts: 173 ✭✭Callipo


    ItsThatManAgain wrote: »
    It wasn't a case of one thing that made it concrete, but all those small things. What made it concrete was being able to accept myself.


    No offence but you are pretty much like the rest of us.

    Bar pedos.


  • Options
    #88
    strobe
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,872 ✭✭✭strobe


    Does Links234 not post on here any more?


  • Options
    #89
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    Callipo wrote: »
    No offence but you are pretty much like the rest of us.

    Bar pedos.

    If your argument is that Transgenderism shouldnt be listed in the DSM, then I agree. If that's not the case, then I don't quite understand your point.


  • Options
    #90
    L.Jenkins
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 19,240 Mod ✭✭✭✭L.Jenkins


    strobe wrote: »
    Does Links234 not post on here any more?

    No she quit for a while due to bullying.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #91
    Callipo
    Registered Users Posts: 173 ✭✭Callipo


    ItsThatManAgain wrote: »
    If your argument is that Transgenderism shouldnt be listed in the DSM, then I agree. If that's not the case, then I don't quite understand your point.

    Life is confusing. It is the same for most. Who is anyone?

    Bar pedos. Who are sick evil people.


This discussion has been closed.
Advertisement