I saw/read something about how often transexuality comes along with mental disorders.
It mentioned specially stuff like bipolar and borderline disorder.
Does anyone here have any kinda of troubles like that? I'm asking cause I have bipolar disorder, I've been in mental institutions and it makes much more harder to do the transition.
Everything that I feel or say seems to other people that is just because my disease and not because I really feel this way.
Like my wishes of being a man were just some sort of crazy ideas or like I'm being conducted by voices in my head.
No one seems to see that it's two different problems. Actually, sometimes I really wonder if it's two different things, or if the things are connected. Am I crazy enough, in a point where I do not know myself, thinking that I am a man but being just a crazy woman?

Any thoughts about that, some help?

There's definitely some overlap sometimes, but I don't think it's so much a cause or effect necessarily.  I think bipolar episodes can certainly be triggered or exacerbated by stress from dysphoria though.  During my last manic episode 5 years ago, having finally come to the conclusion that I was trans earlier that year, I started dressing and acting more masculine, temporarily dropping my 'girl' act and even made mention of not being a girl to my mother.  Thus, years later, while I'm sane and very functional, she still sees my desire to transition as a warning sign of impending psychotic episode, when really it had just been the loss of inhibition that caused my true feelings to be known.

As for transitioning, it certainly would depend on the particular medical practitioners, and also the severity and type of disorder.  My bipolar episodes, for example, are easily recognized as I don't get hypomania, I'm either way out in left field and completely dysfunctional (and very obviously so), or 'normal'; I don't exist in a half-manic state, and yet the gender dysphoria persists even as my moods are stable.  I think also, if you can convince them that your gender discomfort existed before you showed symptoms of your disorder (in childhood or puberty, for example), it might help your case.  I've been in psych hospitals as well, but I'm not sharing that info with my current therapist.  That was a long time ago and I've got things under control now, it's really a completely separate issue as far as 'treatment' goes anyways.

I can't offer any experience of bipolar but I hope you find a mhw who is able to see the difference and work with you.

I've dealt with some gnarly depression at times. I think one time I was super depressed one day and then happy as a clam the other day, so maybe bi-polar? I've never seen anybody about it though so I don't have an official diagnosis. I've always been the type to deal with that stuff on my own.

Lately I've been thinking and worrying about this a lot.. I'm worried that psychiatrists/gender therapists will think my gender issues are a result of mental illness, which is very much not the case.

Would it be best to not mention these sorts of things to the psychiatrist that you're seeing for gender reasons?

Quote from: Marcelo Caetano on December 21, 2010, 10:45:04 PM
I saw/read something about how often transexuality comes along with mental disorders.
It mentioned specially stuff like bipolar and borderline disorder.
Does anyone here have any kinda of troubles like that? I'm asking cause I have bipolar disorder, I've been in mental institutions and it makes much more harder to do the transition.
Everything that I feel or say seems to other people that is just because my disease and not because I really feel this way.
Like my wishes of being a man were just some sort of crazy ideas or like I'm being conducted by voices in my head.

The best advice I can give you now is to stop that,

Bi polar disorder is a modern term to describe mood swings. Other than what can normally be expected from depression or elation, there are no significant dilusions associated with it.

As for hearing voices, that is a completely different disease.

Gender dysphoria is a mental illness, in that it is caused by the way we think and results in distress. Another term is dysmorphia.

It has long been established that there is a cure for gender dysphoria. It's called gender transision, or Sex Change for the tabloids. It works in the vast majority of cases.

So, relax. You're no more crazy than 99% of humanity. And the great part is, there is a cure.

It might be specific to adolescent trans people - but my physician has treated dozens of adolescents through their transitions, and says the majority were diagnosed with bipolar before they transitioned. After transition, it disappeared in all but a few cases. Ergo, he believes symptoms associated with bipolar often appear due to distress caused by gender dysphoria, and it's misdiagnosed. Now, if you are truly bipolar, the symptoms would stay. But as many people, particularly adolescents, are incorrectly diagnosed with bipolar, it's worthwhile to keep in mind that the apparent correlation between bipolar disorder and GID may not actually exist. Or at least, not as strongly as one would assume from the diagnoses.

As for me, I have depression, mild OCD, social anxiety, and Asperger's has been suggested multiple times, though I refuse to get it officially diagnosed. All of these have become less severe and/or apparent since I began transitioning. So I think my dysphoria weakened my mental health and made me less able to control compulsions and stress related issues. Though I don't doubt that all of my issues are going to stick around to some extent.

Quote from: spacial on December 22, 2010, 10:40:51 AM
The best advice I can give you now is to stop that,

Bi polar disorder is a modern term to describe mood swings. Other than what can normally be expected from depression or elation, there are no significant dilusions associated with it.

As for hearing voices, that is a completely different disease.

Gender dysphoria is a mental illness, in that it is caused by the way we think and results in distress. Another term is dysmorphia.

It has long been established that there is a cure for gender dysphoria. It's called gender transision, or Sex Change for the tabloids. It works in the vast majority of cases.

So, relax. You're no more crazy than 99% of humanity. And the great part is, there is a cure.

Well, let me start. Hearing voices is not a completely different thing, as you sad. Bipolar disorder has very types and in some of them you can get psychotic and, yes, start to hear voices. You don't need to be schizophrenic to hear voices, there are other diseases that cause that, like bipolar disorder.

When you say that gender dysphoria is a mental illness I would advice you to not say that. Yes, right now it's considered like a mental disorder, but once homosexuality have been considered one, but it's not anymore. I guess none of us would say it is. There are some people that are starting some campaigns to get gender dysphoria out of the list of mental disorders. So I guess it depends where and when you live to say that something is a disease, specially a mental one.

Quote from: Marcelo Caetano on December 22, 2010, 03:27:28 PM
Well, let me start. Hearing voices is not a completely different thing, as you sad. Bipolar disorder has very types and in some of them you can get psychotic and, yes, start to hear voices. You don't need to be schizophrenic to hear voices, there are other diseases that cause that, like bipolar disorder.

When you say that gender dysphoria is a mental illness I would advice you to not say that. Yes, right now it's considered like a mental disorder, but once homosexuality have been considered one, but it's not anymore. I guess none of us would say it is. There are some people that are starting some campaigns to get gender dysphoria out of the list of mental disorders. So I guess it depends where and when you live to say that something is a disease, specially a mental one.

This.  Bipolar disorder is not just 'mood swings'; it's more dramatic forms are characterized by crippling depression (often of the suicidal variety) and true mania, a delusional state where hallucinations are not uncommon.   People do use the term 'bipolar' incorrectly to refer to someone being bitchy/moody or irrational, but bipolar disorder is a real condition with severe symptoms.

I also agree that most people here would take offense at the statement that gender dysphoria is a mental illness.  It can cause one to become mentally ill, but so can anything that causes someone significant stress and mental anguish.  The DSM IV used to diagnose mental illnesses does currently contend that 'gender identity disorder' is a mental illness, but there's been studies that suggest otherwise, and many practicing psychologists don't even agree with those standards. 

Back on the original topic, I think one of the reasons that my bipolar symptoms have diminished due to uncovering one of my biggest triggers, which is the gender dysphoria.  Working towards transitioning has kept me sane and focused, and just the relief of no longer repressing it (at least to myself and a few friends) keeps my stress levels manageable.  While there's definitely a chemical component to bipolar episodes, there's certainly more to it than that, and I definitely believe that transitioning could help lessen symptoms in some people.

As for gender therapists, unless you're currently seeking treatment for a disorder (medications, recent hospitalizations, ect), I'd probably omit any talk of being bipolar as there's a whole lot of stigma to go along with that disorder, even medical professionals seem to think that a bipolar person idles at 'crazy' and many seem to confuse it for mental retardation, which is absurd.

Really interesting thread.

Bipolar is not just the typical manic depressive type, either. Most people think that bipolar is extreme depression and extreme mania. Not all cases are like that. I myself was diagnosed with Bipolar type 2. Which is usually extreme depression (so crippling that suicide seems like the only option) and maybe ONE episode of mania. For me, it's like acting "normally" (no intense mood swings) to wanting to kill myself in a matter of days or in some cases, hours. It is true that some cases of bipolar also have psychosis, but that's normally with type 1 I believe, not type 2.

I'm currently seeing a regular therapist and we're discussing the possibilities of maybe me being trans having a huge impact on my depressive state. Basically she thinks that if this is me that going through with transition will make me happier...

Other than some pretty serious depression a few years ago, I'm fairly normal.  Though, I guess it makes sense that some disorders could create the same dysphoric feelings as GID.

I have been formally diagnosed with Severe Clinical Depression, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Social Anxiety Disorder. That's a lot by any standards. But I always figured it was all tied to very early childhood trauma, not being transgendered.

I've got Asperger's. That's it, really. Hopefully I will get the diagnosis of transsexualism some day, and that diagnosis is the key to get help from the medical system. Without it, I won't get any help with transitioning at all.

I was going to jump in and say that bipolar is more than just being moody and that psychosis can happen with bipolar disorder, but I see that others have already explained that.

I have bipolar I and I've had episodes of psychosis, when my moods hit a certain extreme. I've also been hospitalized. It sucks, and I'm sorry you've gone through that.

I was expecting everyone to chalk up my transgender thoughts as part of the bipolar, but I was lucky - my doctor, my psychiatrist, they're all on board with it. I haven't had any mood episodes out of the ordinary for a year though, so that might have helped.

Maybe you're expecting everyone to think you're crazy, and that's causing you to assume that's what people are thinking?

I worry that maybe I'm just a confused woman and not a man at all, too, but I've spent a lot of time thinking about it and talking to professionals. The answer I've found is to just take it slow. If starting T doesn't feel right, I can stop there.

Quote from: Jeh on December 23, 2010, 02:53:06 PMI worry that maybe I'm just a confused woman and not a man at all, too, but I've spent a lot of time thinking about it and talking to professionals. The answer I've found is to just take it slow. If starting T doesn't feel right, I can stop there.

This.