Transgender people no longer considered "mentally ill" to American Psychiatric A

[SandraJane]

Transgender people no longer considered "mentally ill" to American Psychiatric Association


By Kelly Craig | 429 Magazine| July 26, 2012


http://dot429.com/articles/1119


https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,123823.0.html    Related article


"Gender Identity Disorder" is now a term of the past as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, will be replacing the term with "Gender Dysphoria," according to the Associated Press.

This change is a result of years of lobbying the American Psychiatric Association to change or remove the "mentally ill" characterization given to all who are transgender. Individuals may now be diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria, "a marked incongruence between one's experienced/expressed gender and assigned gender."

[Padma]

One reason why this is good news over here in the UK is that (I've recently discovered) the NHS makes some reference to the US DSM in its guidelines to healthcare professionals, and it'll no longer be able to cite GID as a current diagnosis.

[cindianna_jones]

This is an excellent change for the better. Certainly, a listing in the 'big book' gives our situation credence. But the 'disorder' part always bothered me. Now... it's just a condition brought on by the fact that we want to be ourselves! How exciting!

[justmeinoz]

The DSM is used worldwide for setting the SOC, so it is a big change.

[suzifrommd]

Gotta say this is a more than a theoretical comfort for me. I'm having thoughts in my head that I can't reason away or silence, telling me that life would be better if I show the world I really am a woman.

I've never had feelings like this that I couldn't reason with or consciously temper. It very much FEELS like mental illness. Hearing that these thoughts are normal for someone in my situation is a considerable relief.

[Medusa]

Just be careful about it
Someone can se that "we" are not ill, just weird so we need no medical care 

[Padma]

Luckily, Medusa, we can then point to the DSM to show approved medical treatments of our condition (which is no longer a "disorder" but is very treatable...)

[aleon515]

Gotta say this is a more than a theoretical comfort for me. I'm having thoughts in my head that I can't reason away or silence, telling me that life would be better if I show the world I really am a woman.

I've never had feelings like this that I couldn't reason with or consciously temper. It very much FEELS like mental illness. Hearing that these thoughts are normal for someone in my situation is a considerable relief.

Well dysphoria can be VERY strong. If the accepted treatment is to change genders (in some cases anyway) no one would do this for a frivolous reason. (One hopes.)


--Jay Jay

[Lauraitl]

This is good news!  As an old school TS, I can say that the world is changing for the better regarding views on gender issues.