Gender dysphoria is a medical term that describes psychologically and clinically significant distress that occurs when the sex assigned to oneself at birth is different from the sex they identify as. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Gender dysphoria can be: [someone] Functioning in social situations, at work or school, and other parts of life… It can affect many aspects of life, including daily activities…[and may impair] Ability to function at school or work, [leading to] They drop out of school or become unemployed. Relationship problems are common. Anxiety, depression, self-harm, eating disorders and substance abuse can develop.”
However, although many transgender and nonbinary people experience gender dysphoria, it is not a prerequisite for identifying as transgender or nonbinary: some transgender people may never experience gender dysphoria, or may only experience it at certain points in their lives.
If you are experiencing gender dysphoria, we encourage you to seek gender identity-based counseling or join a local or online transgender and non-binary support group. You can also work with a medical or mental health professional who specializes in gender identity to determine a course of treatment, whether or not it includes medical or social transition.
If your loved one is experiencing gender dysphoria, we encourage you to treat them with kindness and empathy, help them seek help, and respect their gender identity.
If you or someone you know may be at risk of suicide, there are several hotlines that offer help specifically for LGBTQ+ people.
– Anyone can call the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Select 3 to be connected to an LGBTQI-trained crisis counselor. You can also contact the same hotline by text. Just text “PRIDE” to 988.
– If you are a young LGBTQ+ person and need to talk to someone, you can call (1-866-488-7386), text (text START to 678-678), or chat online with The Trevor Project’s 24-hour crisis hotline for youth.
– Transgender people of any age can call Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860.
