the diagnosis of Gender Disphoria

[Port]

The American Psychiatric Association defines as Gender dysphoria Gender disphoria involving a conflict between a person's physical or assigned gender and the gender with which he/she/they identify. This diagnosis includes a person having significant distress and/or problems functioning associated with this conflict between the way they feel and think of themselves (referred to as experienced or expressed gender) and their physical or assigned gender. Does this type of diagnosis open the door to other diagnosis of conflicts. I am thinking of Nkechi Amare Diallo a white women of European Ancestry who identified herself to being African American. Hiding her history, and developing a life as an African American women. When she was outed it made news all over the country, There is a long history of “passing” between the races. Might the APA develop a diagnosis of race dysphoria or some variation?

 

[Tammuz]

Might the APA develop a diagnosis of race dysphoria or some variation?

A possible explanation is that she is the reincarnation of a dead Afroamerican woman, what of course requires the acceptance of the reincarnation theory. However she herself does not argue that way, she simply seems to feel herself as a black. It might have simple psychological reasons since she was abused by her parents (as were her brothers) and began to identify with abused black slaves. Then she married a black male. In my view one should not overrate the affair, it seems to be a simple psychological matter that needs not be qualified as "race dysphoria" as long as there aren´t more cases like that which require a special scientific category such as you propose.

But since you hint at a "long history of passing between the races", you should present some examples which support your proposal.

 

[Earl_of_Rochester]

Isn't Gender Dismorphia trans? There's certainly a long history of that.

 

[Futurist]

But since you hint at a "long history of passing between the races", you should present some examples which support your proposal.

Some mixed-race people? For instance, Gail Lukasik's mother was mixed-race and was Black during her childhood but later on began passing as White--something that she continued to do until her death:

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/outintheopen/the-secret-lives-of-parents-1.4773085/her-mother-kept-her-racial-background-a-secret-her-whole-life-1.4773809

 

[Frog33inUK]

Can someone point out to me when and why the modern craze for this "gender" thing started?
I am quite baffled by the whole thing really... seems to me it's another American whim orchestrated by American crackpots, being exported to the whole world to impose an American view of the world to everyone.

 

[Linschoten]

Gender dysphoria is real but very rare; some can make the 'transition' and adapt very well, in others it results in a lifetime of misery. I knew someone who had an operation to become a woman (or more like a woman), but was desperately unhappy and eventually committed suicide. It worries me that this issue is being played up in a typically American manner as just another identity politcs issue, because it encourages exhibitionists, and encourages people to follow a path that might well prove as disastrous for them as in the case that I mentioned. Much better to take things very slowly and cautiously, and yet one sees that they are encouraging even quite young children to make the transition as though mental confusions and disorders of this kind (which is what it ultimately is) were a simple matter that can easily be resolved; and one even sees the unfortunate children being exhibited, which amounts to a kind of child abuse in my view.

 

[Niobe]

In the U.S., it seems like being the parent of a transgender child / child with gender dysphoria is rather in vogue. Among my female friends I specifically see this... I feel like these parents are desperate to show their approval and acceptance of this one specific element - almost in lieu of having a healthy or nurturing response the more usual, garden variety dysfunctions or failures that their children may have. It is a very trendy thing, to be that mom who has a child who identifies as a different gender - to the point that it romanticizes having a condition that is associated with potentially lifelong suffering (post sex change individuals have 20x the suicide rate of the rest of the population... this is after they are reassigned to their desired gender). At times it feels like parents are using their children as a proxy to derive gratification and attention from their peers... their own moment to be the "good guy", when the situation should really be about the good of the child... I think once the sensationalism of GD dies down a bit, it's more likely that people with it will be helped in a real, meaningful way.

The criteria for GD also includes being uncomfortable with the roles assigned to their gender - which almost signifies a sociological pressure or expectation for genders that may be ultimately too restrictive or unfulfilling (lacking meaning) for individuals. When taken into account with the higher ratio of males looking to transition to females, it makes it seem like there may be some underpinning in society that is causing men to want to evade the narrowness of accepted gendered behavior. (<--- Just my own American crackpot theory ).

As far as looking at the potential for racial dysphoria... I would apply a similar American crackpot theory there as well - specifically that society has expectations of one race that is not extended to another and that individuals wanting to identify with a different race are somehow not comfortable/distressed at the prohibitions/freedoms put on their own race versus another.

 

[Tulun]

Isn't this whole thing just a subsection of body integrity identity disorder? I remember the story of a(n of course American ) woman who blinded herself on purpose because she felt she meant to be blind... same stuff...

 

[Futurist]

Isn't this whole thing just a subsection of body integrity identity disorder? I remember the story of a(n of course American ) woman who blinded herself on purpose because she felt she meant to be blind... same stuff...

I've heard about that blinding case. That said, though, it actually is possible that gender dysphoria and body integrity identity disorder are related in a certain way. Specifically, in both cases, it's entirely possible that there is a mismatch between the brain's body image and one's actual body. Of course, in both cases, there might not actually be a cure other than transition or getting the offending body part chopped off.

 

[Futurist]

In the U.S., it seems like being the parent of a transgender child / child with gender dysphoria is rather in vogue. Among my female friends I specifically see this... I feel like these parents are desperate to show their approval and acceptance of this one specific element - almost in lieu of having a healthy or nurturing response the more usual, garden variety dysfunctions or failures that their children may have. It is a very trendy thing, to be that mom who has a child who identifies as a different gender - to the point that it romanticizes having a condition that is associated with potentially lifelong suffering (post sex change individuals have 20x the suicide rate of the rest of the population... this is after they are reassigned to their desired gender). At times it feels like parents are using their children as a proxy to derive gratification and attention from their peers... their own moment to be the "good guy", when the situation should really be about the good of the child... I think once the sensationalism of GD dies down a bit, it's more likely that people with it will be helped in a real, meaningful way.

Their extremely high suicide rate even after transition might be the result of a lack of acceptance by their peers and by society and/or the result of some of them still experiencing some gender dysphoria even after they transition. After all, there is only so much that things such as facial feminization surgery can do. This surgery could be enough for some people to pass as their desired gender, but not for everyone.

I do wonder if the suicide rates for trans men who transitioned are anywhere near as high. After all, I get the impression that it's easier for trans men to pass. Of course, they might also complain about inadequate plumbing even if/after they got bottom surgery.

The criteria for GD also includes being uncomfortable with the roles assigned to their gender - which almost signifies a sociological pressure or expectation for genders that may be ultimately too restrictive or unfulfilling (lacking meaning) for individuals. When taken into account with the higher ratio of males looking to transition to females, it makes it seem like there may be some underpinning in society that is causing men to want to evade the narrowness of accepted gendered behavior. (<--- Just my own American crackpot theory ).

Honestly, I think that someone who is gender non-conforming but not transgender isn't going to be able to permanently live as the other sex. I suspect that they'll feel compelled to transition back to what they previously were at some future point in time. For instance, there is the male model Van Burnham (Google him). He transitioned to female and lived as a woman for four years but then felt that living exclusively as a woman wasn't quite right and thus resumed living as an androgynous male (albeit as a male who previously fot facial feminization surgery done).

As far as looking at the potential for racial dysphoria... I would apply a similar American crackpot theory there as well - specifically that society has expectations of one race that is not extended to another and that individuals wanting to identify with a different race are somehow not comfortable/distressed at the prohibitions/freedoms put on their own race versus another.

Yeah, that's certainly possible. Of course, one could also genuinely believe that some races or ethnic groups are prettier than others. For instance, I'm of Slavic and Jewish descent but wish that I was Anglo-Saxon (and also much less fat and hairy, but that's neither here nor there ).