First off let me apologize to the readers for the late post
this month I had alternate plans for this months discussion and those plans
fell through and now I have been busy playing catch up with this and several
other projects for more on that look at my weekly blog Brittany’s Desk.
Okay on to the subject.
The subject this time around is what is medically a
Trangender person? How do you, someone you know they are transgender. The issue
here I briefly touched on the first post of this blog but I walked around the
issue for those truly asking as to how and why someone would identify this way. Before going further I have to do the usual notice. I am NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL, I am a writer and artist and am writing this blog through hours to years of research personal experiences and more, do not take my word as such for your own safety. This blog is a tool to aid you in your journey not direct it. Please seek a medical profession for more advice and please do your own research. If you want to discuss the issue at hand you can comment below or email me at brittanydodson@imbriaarts.com, Thank you
When one looks scientifically at
the issue at hand you have to understand that no science is 100% known. To this
day science still doesn’t understand many things in our common everyday lives
and mysteries of the human body and genetics still tend to puzzle us. But that being said the study of transgender
people as I noted in the second official posting started in the late 19th
century and continues to this day. So the over 100 years of scientific study
has resulted in a solid ground work that the issue does exist in a medical term
and is not a clear case of mental disease as it was labeled till last year. Now
keep in mind other formerly labeled mental diseases where including Seizures,
Left Handedness, Homosexuality, and that’s not going over the current issues
now involved in trying to diagnose some actual treatable diseases as a mental
disorder. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/turning-straw-gold/201212/physical-illnesses-may-soon-be-labeled-mental-disorders
So often now days even though the issue has been changed of
late people still refer to Transgenderism as a mental disorder. Yet science of
late has more proven it to be a genetic one. In many cases of transgender study
they have discovered chemical makeup and genetic makeup in many cases to result
in a sway in our bodies development as we mature. Yet even if a person is
genetically the opposite of what they are physically, that does not mean their transgender.
So don’t get your self tested and jump straight in to a whole new life.
No, in fact these days we are seeing a flow of transgender
cases increase yet many are self-diagnosis cases that don’t truly understand
what it means. And often they place themselves on a path they aren’t too clear
of what lies ahead of them. Sadly we live in a time of self-prognosis with
constant drug ads filling our lives pushing us into thinking we would be better
off with the drug for a disease we heard about on tv or in the news. Sadly life
can’t not be fixed with a pill, the sooner you learn this the better. True
cases of transgender people drum down to these things.
1. How long have you felt this way?
2. Can you see yourself living a normal life without preceding this path?
3. If not how does that make you feel?
4. Are you clinically depressed?
5. Are you suicidal?
2. Can you see yourself living a normal life without preceding this path?
3. If not how does that make you feel?
4. Are you clinically depressed?
5. Are you suicidal?
These are serious questions you need to focus on. Most clear
cases of transgender people are suicidal and have even tried it. Sadly this is
the #1 defining issue. But at the same time Suicidal thoughts and tendencies is
not the solid case for being transgender. No that is where questions 1-3 come
into play. Transgender individuals, true cases involve a long history of this
issue weighing on their lives. While there are several cases of children identifying
as trans, the issue isn’t easy to lock in on a child till years of maturity hit
them. Often to see how things go some doctors will offer blockers to keep the
child from going through puberty while they are conflicted in their thoughts.
Mind you this is a
highly risky venture and should be well understood as the medications of
blockers (mainly the #1 perscribed spironolactone
for Transwomen) is a “high” dosage prostate cancer fighting medication. That is
known to cause many things including many effects similar to a heart attack and
kidney disease thus has to be treated under a doctor’s care. Placing the strain of this on a developing
child’s body could have stronger effects of harm and may cause physical issues
down the line. That is not including the side effects of Testosterone on
Transmen at a young age. As a medically induced steroid it’s very easy to show
the side effects of that medication taken out of supervision without having to
look at transgender cases.
When one is properly diagnosis its best they work on keeping
their body in good shape to lower the risks of the medications side effects
when they eventually get on it. It’s not an easy task. It’s a long and painful
road to go through being trans the pain is mental, physical and even social.
Every now and then you hear of a case of an Ex trans person appear. These case usually
can be classified in several ways.
1. Going with the in crowd
2.
Seeking a new sexual high
3.
Past scars
4.
Creating a spotlight
5.
Genuine self-doubt
6.
Mentally poisoning
Let me explain each of these. The first is the most common
on found today. Transgender is becoming the social in thing right now. A way to
rebel against one’s life ending up not down a path one hopes for and a way some
see as a way out is by building a crutch for their pain. This is nothing new in
many cases of the past the idea of doing something society sees as shocking to
stand out when you refuse to fit in is all too clear of each and every
generation of person. Sadly this group however moves to take risky behavior to
resolve these feelings and seek things like back alley drugs to help transition
causing them possible medical issues and higher risk behavior for other things
Such as sexual disease harder drugs and worse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw3K2L5XrW4
A former trans-person that turned back with a warning for the “In crowd” Type
Second is the oldest case of false identifiers for
transgender. People who for some reason or another that found themselves ether
wanting to go down this path because they wanted a sexual high or had issues
sexually and felt it was a better way to go on enjoying sex.
Third is the harder to deal with issue. Sadly it comes down
to trying to deal with past sexual abuse and accepting the pain of the abuse as
a reason to transition to make one feel better for the reasons why they were
abused. In my discussions and meetings with many people in my life I personally
can say one in 10 cases of transgender identifying people I have come across
claim that the reason they transition is due to former sexual abuse they
underwent as a child.
Forth is a rare case but not unheard of in this day and age.
The idea that somehow becoming transgender will lead you down a life of luxury
and fandom, there is little I can say other than anyone who seeks to change their
genders for fame, needs to get their head examined thoroughly. Going through
this life is not a whim spur of the moment thing and the further you go down
the road the more it costs and the more isolation you will experience. While
there are some that have become famous being trans the numbers are so low its
below 1% of the transgender population vs the 5+ % in normal society.
Fifth is a serious case. Sometimes people do change and they
may genuinely think one thing of them in their lives for years and be actually
convincing of it but then something in their life changes and they begin to
doubt their decisions.
Finally is the Mental poisoning. This is by far the most
dangerous type. The quote cured transgender people through ether “faith” based
programs or others like it. These programs often try to convince the person
they are wrong and often do more psychological damage to the person in horrible
ways. Note I am not saying faith is the problem in fact in some cases people
who turn to faith may in fact find clear answers to their doubt but there are
dangers in these groups.
Here is a interview with famed British Actor Stephen Fry and
an ex-gay therapist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnBBqYFGKB8
The ways to understand things comes down to long sessions
(often years of such) of therapy from a professional. Personally I spent 4
years in therapy alone on the course before I got the green light to seek the
medical end of things. While often most cases should take less. (Mine took more
because I kept getting pushed on the fresh out of college interns as a case
study) In general at least a year of therapy is not unheard of. As transgender
cases often tend to have compacting social and mental issues around them.
Issues like Agoraphobia and anxiety disorder can arise and also need to be
dealt with to help live a semi normal life. So to go through this process a few
years ago I devised a list of questions for therapy that need to be asked in the
cases of being transgender.
The issues one must ask both themselves and a medical help
professional and likewise questions they should ask you (The questions for the therapist to ask in
red the ones for you to ask your therapist in blue)
What is your first memory of what
gender means?
Does stating this mean I’m prone
to mental disorders and possible clinically insane?
If you knew you never could get
surgery, how would that make you feel?
What should my first steps be?
If you knew you never could get
medicine to alter the body, trapping you in the form you have now, how would
you feel?
What are the risks I can look
towards if I start (medication, surgery)?
How do you think you would act if
someone discriminated you for who you where?
I came out to my (Family,
Friends, Lover, Children), yet they are having trouble with my decision, is
there a way you or someone you know can help us work through this together?
How do you think you would act if
someone threatened violence for who you where?
I want to come out to my
(Family, Friends, Lover, Children) how do I best go about doing this?
How would you act if an act of violence
is being directed at you? What steps would you take to prevent it?
Is it normal to have these
feelings?
What does it mean to be your chosen
gender?
Do you have knowledge of where I
could seek medical help on this issue? And if so would you be willing to offer
your approval for me to seek it out?
Have you tried disguising this with
your friends or family?
Do you have former knowledge or
experience in dealing with this issue?
If someone close to you doesn’t
accept it, how would it make you feel?
How long will I have to be
treated for this issue in my life?
What would you tell a person who
chooses not to accept you? How would you react if things worsen after your
first action?
Do you find that I have other
issues as well not tied to this or do you think that this issue will help deal
with all my issues?
Are you prepared to face the
aftermath that this issue will bring in your (Family, Freind, Work, Social)
environment?
Am I too (old, young, Masculine,
Feminine) to go through with this?
Did you face bullying and/or name
calling that fits derogatory terms towards being transgender as a child?
I’m worried that if I come out
at work I’ll be (discriminated, fired, assaulted) is this a logical fear?
Did you try to hide this from
yourself? If so, how long, and why?
If I go through with this and
find its not who I am was it all just a mistake?
Are there parts of you, that you
think will prevent you from passing as the other gender?
Will I learn to love myself if I
(Go through with it, don’t go through with it)?
How does this affect your love life?
Do I have a hope for finding
love if I go through with this?
Are you aware of the risks of
(Hormones, Surgery) if you chose to go through with this?
How much is all this going to cost me if I
proceed?
Will this truly make you feel better
about yourself?
Is there hope for me going down
this path at feeling better for myself?
But therapy is only one step. Mostly it comes down to self-identification
or 1 on the lists of questions that a professional will ask you when you
discuss this issue.
Ultimately one needs to come from this blog post to
understand that going down this life is ultimately your choice but it’s not
going to be an easy path for you down the line. You’re going to be painting a
target on your back when you go down this path facing a life of persecution and
rejection for just being who you are. Don’t believe me check out the part of
this 20/20 interview with young 11 year old transgender Jazz and the confrontation
she gets in her life.
Personal Note:
In my personal account of the very issue I will be brief and
direct you to read my post in chapters 2 &7 of the old Path site http://www.imbriaarts.com/path/
But I will share a story I didn’t share before. One that
even my family didn’t know and maybe still don’t. Back when I left college and
got out of my parents’ home to live on my own I start to explore the side of me
that I had no clear idea about I hadn’t studied it nor have I focused on it. In
fact I failed the college sex ed course I took that only spent ½ a day on it as
a subject and the book which I ironically still own. Barely touches on the
subject at all. Yet I was hiding myself from the world at the time. (this part
many of you that have followed me all this time and family know) What they don’t
know is the self-mutilation I did. I was greatly depressed about the issue and
badly wanted a part of me gone so often on long lonely days I would go to my kitchen
and pick up a knife and cut the skin along the legs towards my private area. I
never went too deep knowing enough about human anatomy that cutting the femoral
artery would likely mean certain death. But I have cut enough to leave marks
across the inner portions of my thighs that don’t heal right and sometimes in
the heat of sweaty summer will tear open just enough due to the low amount of
skin built around it that they slowly bleed. Thankfully I stopped listening to
the depression in my life and listened to reason and hope to find a safer and
open way of changing my life. But it would still take me 7 years and several suicide
attempts and threats to reach the point of help and courage to come forth on
who I am. Since then I have become a
changed person. While depression still hits my life it’s never gets so low as
to bring harm to myself in any way. I have learned more about myself opened up
more to the world and become a better person through being the person I see myself
as. Now with the blessing of medical professional at my side I am able to show
more of that side of me to the world. To become a better me on both the outside
and inside and to live a life I want to live.
So what is the medical meaning of being transgender?
It’s the goal of giving yourself a strong footing on the
road to finding yourself no matter how you see yourself for a sense of mental
security and peace of mind. It is a genetic or chemical imbalance in the body
of the person across their physical identity from their spiritual, mental and
emotional identity.
Article resources:
http://www.pfc.org.uk/node/614
- Medical Study Jan. 1996 U.K. - Based on the basic general study of
transgender in medical terms
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-boys-become-boys-and
- How Boys become Boys and sometimes Girls (Scientific American May 2008)
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=going-beyond-x-and-y
- Going Beyond X and Y (Scientific American June 2007)
http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k78405&pageid=icb.page414493
– Harvard Study on identification of transgenders
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/publications-a-z/731-i-think-i-might-be-transgender-now-what-do-i-do
- actual Q&A by medical professional on the subject.
HOMEWORK:
So how did you do with last month’s homework? Yeah well some
share with me in email brittanydodson@imbriaarts.com
others just read the blog and move on. This week the assignment is an old one I
learned and I want to have others do more often.
You do a chart for both living
your life as is and one for changing your life that way you want it to be. You
give yourself 20 minutes to do this no more, no less in the end count them and
see where you stand.
Next Month’s subject:
Names What are they good for?
I will be discussing both choosing a new name and how naming
yourself comes about and how to legally do it.
Trans in the News:
Speaking of Names the big issue going on right now in the
transworld this month is…
India Recognizes Transgenders
You would think of all the nations in the world that in the
past where not very trans friendly many would pass on India. You know the country
where many of its people worship a transgender goddess. But hey they do or did
up until recently where it is now a recognized group in the country yeah India
