Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transgender talk => Topic started by: MRH on November 03, 2010, 04:28:07 PM

Title: Getting closer to coming out
Post by: MRH on November 03, 2010, 04:28:07 PM
Now that i'm 18 I can finally get help with my gender issues so thats pretty exciting. The only downfall is because i'm currently with a team that deals with psychosis they might not offer me help as they may believe i'm suffering some sort of delusion if i'm "psychotic" and my gender issues are some sort of result of being "mad".

Also i'm getting closer to telling my close friends and family. Oddly enough this is down to my new Xbox 360 lol. Being an avid sony fan i've always used my PS3 and on there theres no way of telling my gender so people I know would think I was Meghan whilst randomers online thought I was a guy. Also there is a voice changer option so if I was talking to people online I would sound like a guy.
Now that i'm giving the 360 a go it must of taken me an hour to decide what gender my avatar was gonna be. For people who dont know much about consoles you create a little version of yourself on your profile and I think other people can view them. Now I'm Scott Hunter on there (for the time being) but since I know a lot of 360 users who are all excited about adding me I feel I may have to change my avatar to a female and go back to Meghan. Something very simple but I dont want to. I dont want to pretend to be Meghan anymore. So as I grow more and more tired of this charade I feel my "coming out" may be pretty soon.
Title: Re: Getting closer to coming out
Post by: Zack on November 03, 2010, 05:20:45 PM
I've always used male avatars even before I was out and I used the excuse that the male ones looked more like me because I'm so 'boyish'. Or try and create an androgynous avatar.

Also how do you do the voice changer on the ps3!? Thats sounds awesome.
Title: Re: Getting closer to coming out
Post by: spacial on November 03, 2010, 07:16:24 PM
Quote from: MRH on November 03, 2010, 04:28:07 PM
Now that i'm 18 I can finally get help with my gender issues so thats pretty exciting. The only downfall is because i'm currently with a team that deals with psychosis they might not offer me help as they may believe i'm suffering some sort of delusion if i'm "psychotic" and my gender issues are some sort of result of being "mad".

You don't say what sort of team this is.

A delusion is a false belief, out of keeping with the persons cultural and social background. In itself it is not indicative of anything. Most politicians are delusional. (They are also psychopathic, but we won't go there.  :laugh:)

A psychosis is a serious mental illness where the sufferer is detached from reality and lacks insight. If you had one of these, I doubt you would be posting on a web forum.

Madness is the 19th century word for acute mania.

Now I appreciate that you are feeling very uncomfortable about coming out. But of this team is making you feel they have any authority to judge you in this way then you should say something to them.

There are a number of issues surrounding the nature of transgender. A number could be termed as delusional. But that in itself, is not indicative of mental illness as such.

Can you describe the team you are associated with and what it does?
Title: Re: Getting closer to coming out
Post by: Sharky on November 04, 2010, 01:44:51 AM
I also have a PS3 and Xbox 360. I would keep my avatar as a guy, you can just say you weren't modeling it after yourself.
I prefer the PS3, because I don't like paying for live and I pretty much just play MW2 online, just pre ordered Black Ops.
Title: Re: Getting closer to coming out
Post by: Sharky on November 04, 2010, 01:47:14 AM
Quote from: Zack on November 03, 2010, 05:20:45 PM
I've always used male avatars even before I was out and I used the excuse that the male ones looked more like me because I'm so 'boyish'. Or try and create an androgynous avatar.

Also how do you do the voice changer on the ps3!? Thats sounds awesome.

Its under the settings.
http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/settings/voicechanger.html (http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/settings/voicechanger.html)
Title: Re: Getting closer to coming out
Post by: MRH on November 04, 2010, 03:30:22 PM
Yeah I prefer PS3. The voice changer is awesome. Ok so it sounds a little bit fake but i've been called "he" when playing co-op on Uncharted 2 which made me feel good.
As for the the whole psychosis issue it was my support worker who got in touch with he gender specialists so they know what issues I have. I wont go into too much depth here but their main concern is that I might not be in the right frame of mind as a part of my condition tends to make me....someone else. Not like a split personality but its related to some hallucinations ive experienced for about 6 years. Thing is the psychosis team think my problems have derived from a life time of gender confusion but the gender team think my issues are formed from psychosis. So it looks like its gonna go in a bit of a circle for the next few months.
Title: Re: Getting closer to coming out
Post by: spacial on November 04, 2010, 07:53:46 PM
MRH.

I think I understand the situation. I strongly suggest you work out in your mind, what your attitudes, aspirations and outlook is.

Try to mentally look at the medical history, as you understand it and see, for yourself, where the gender issues are and any others.

Now I want to make it quite clear, I'm not suggesting, in any way, that you should be deceptive. I am suggesting that you need to take some level of control of this situation.

I appreciate the temptation to get annoyed, or act in a manner that to other might appear irresponsible. I also appreciate the temptation to lose respect for some people. This is a mistake. There will be many people who will have preconceptions and opinions that you disagree with. Don't try to argue with them, nor undermine them. Being wrong is not the same as being a fool.

There seems little doubt that your transision will be on hold for a while. But if you follow the experiences of others here, you will realise that is not unsual.

The apparent conflicts between different teams is, sadly, a fact of life in psychiatric medicine. Personally I find it quite funny, but I'm not on the receiveing end. Try to work with those you come into contact with. Especially to build relationships, whereever possible, with those whose ideas you agree. But avoid conflict and disrespect, if you can.

I do suggest, however, that you think of your gender issues as a matter of self expression. I suggest you avoid terms such as being stuck in the wrong body. I also suggest you try to resist dysmorphia. Though you will be experiencing this to an extent.

Concentrate on what you know for certain. Avoid theorising. Also avoid unproven ideas you may hear.

Good luck.