might b a stupid question.. but what is a t letter?

A letter from a trained professional eg psychiatrist, psychologist or counsellor that enables you to start T (testosterone). It means you've attended sessions, talked about your issues and usually have been diagnosed GID (Gender Identity Disorder) or suffering from Gender Dysphoria according to the HBS (Harry Benjamin Standards of care) and/or the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).
Though IMHO I dont have a disorder - I have a birth defect. I'm sure lots of other guys and girls agree there!

Quote from: Aussie Jay on January 30, 2010, 01:53:30 AM
Though IMHO I dont have a disorder - I have a birth defect. I'm sure lots of other guys and girls agree there!

Ditto! That's what i call it. I refuse to say i have a "mental disorder" because my mind is perfectly fine, thank you very much. It's my body that isn't. ^_^

my mind is fine-knows its a bloke. Only the body has the problem

Quote from: Aussie Jay on January 30, 2010, 01:53:30 AM
Though IMHO I dont have a disorder - I have a birth defect. I'm sure lots of other guys and girls agree there!

there ya go Jay. I was talking about this with my therapist this week, and we were talking about how being a homosexual used to be a disorder. Hopefully one day they will fix that for transgendered people.


and well put Jay

Umm... my psychiatrist even said it's not considered a mental illness or mental disorder in the medical field. It's considered a more biological condition. I'm actually offended by that mind set.

Quote from: Radar on January 30, 2010, 06:42:01 PM
Umm... my psychiatrist even said it's not considered a mental illness or mental disorder in the medical field. It's considered a more biological condition. I'm actually offended by that mind set.

I sincerely hope you don't think it's my mind set dude! I completely agree - it is offensive! I was just referring to the fact it is still in the DSM!
And Mark you're absolutely right, homosexuality used to be in the DSM! I never even considered being gay as a mental disorder - that's ridiculous, but it's not a choice either IMO! But I guess the book was developed when medical care included frontal lobotomy for certain 'disorders' so can't expect TOO much eh!
I really hope one day it gets removed from the DSM and is treated as IMHO the intersex condition it is. I mean intersex is where a person is born with ambiguous genitalia OR other biological factors and a decision is made as to what sex that person is labelled with. Surely a biological factor would constitute a man like me, born with no penis! Anyone?? Any thoughts?

Oh, I know it's not your mind set. I know you didn't pull that term out of the air. The medical field (or part of it) came up with that term. I just have never heard of that one before.

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Post Merge: January 31, 2010, 03:27:54 PM

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Quote from: Aussie Jay on January 30, 2010, 08:46:37 PMI really hope one day it gets removed from the DSM and is treated as IMHO the intersex condition it is. I mean intersex is where a person is born with ambiguous genitalia OR other biological factors and a decision is made as to what sex that person is labelled with. Surely a biological factor would constitute a man like me, born with no penis! Anyone?? Any thoughts?

I agree- especially if the medical field is seeing it more as a biological (brain) condition now. That alone should make insurances cover all of our treatments (including surgeries). Not too mention the psychological and emotional problems our dysphoria causes.