Quote from: melissa42013 on September 02, 2011, 08:50:42 AM
I have come to resent to so called "Standards of Care". I feel that I am an adult and fully capable of making my own educated decisions regarding how I choose to live my life. I resent that I have to spend so much time with therapists who act as gate keepers to "officially" start me on HRT, that I have to do a year of RLT, and then get two letters from professionals that go into a lot of detail to get SRS. (assuming you follow the rules)
If I want to get just about any other type of plastic surgery I can just go talk to a doctor. I don't need to be checked out and certified by a therapist to get it. Just as there are a few people who get obsessed with plastic surgery there will be people who do SRS for the "wrong" reason. But for gods sake, we are adults and we should be held responsible for our own decisions. If I decided to have my penis medially enlarged, and it caused erectile dysfunction, that is my decision.
The SOC kept me from seeking care for many many years as it seemed like just too restrictive of a process. So for years I held off on doing anything and now at 38 am wishing I would have started earlier. (like most others). It is wise to seek therapy in this process, absolutely. Should it be required, perhaps on a certain level. But at this point in my life I am pretty certain what I need to do and the process is just going to get in the way. I started HRT on my own and THEN elected to seek therapy and medical supervision for my own reasons. That is my decision and I don't like the idea of having the fears of the actions of "the least common denominator" dictate what I have to do. If this were applied to everything we would end up having to wear helmets to drive a car!
Ok, that was my rant...... begin the abuse.... lol
-M
To hold off for years because the SOC are too restrictive strikes me as a silly statement. The SOC is not that difficult to navigate if you simply set out from the start to complete the requirements.
You start with therapy, according to the SOC, a minimum of 12 visits is required. If the sessions are a week apart, that's only 3 months. The therapists job is to determine whether you do, in fact, suffer from GID or are there other mitigating things in your head that may result in you believing that you are GID. This is probably not that difficult. At that point, they will generally write you a referral for HRT.
All you have to do after that is to convince them that you have been living as a female in order to get a letter of recommendation for a surgeon. Then a second letter from another therapist. The second may only have to see you once and may simply write a letter of concurrence with the first (basically, that they agree).
The reasons for all this are simple: After surgery, are you able to live and function in your preferred gender role? (female). Can you hold a job and support yourself? This is not that difficult.
No one has brought this up, yet, so I will. I can make a case that the SOC is in place to protect the Doctors as much or more than the patients. Once the SOC has been satisfied, the Dr. has legal protections against lawsuits. Without them, the Dr. is vulnerable. Despite what you may believe, not every Dr. has the patient's best interests at heart. Some of them will do pretty much anything you are able to pay for.
GCS is not "cosmetic" surgery. It is life-altering. It completely changes the way you view yourself and your life. In many cases, it completely cures GID and clears your mind.
If you have a bunch of other mental problems, it won't fix those. The SOC is in place to help you be certain that GCS is right for you.
Start making phone calls to therapists. Tell them that you've been living full time and self medicating and want to start through the process "legally". Tell them you are willing to commit to 12 sessions, but you want your letters after that if they find that you are of sound mind. Tell them you seem to be getting along fine and have no other issues that need to be fixed, other than GID.
You can complete the "rigorous" standards of the SOC in about the same time as the waiting period for some surgeons. This is not some process that takes decades. I've personally known a number of women who have completed this in a year or a little less.
You can find a therapist who will agree to this, *if* you really are "of sound mind". Make enough calls and explain what you're looking for. Don't leave them guessing and don't waste time and money with them if they can't agree up front. What you're asking is not unreasonable.
In order to fulfill the "full time" requirement, you do not have to wear makeup, a padded bra or a dress. You do have to present as female, change your name to one that at least sounds female and convince others that you are, in fact, female. Lots of women don't wear makeup, padded bras or dresses. They are, however, women.
If you just want to continue living as a man, consider an orchie. I don't believe there is much required to get that and it will certainly solve the male hormone problem.
If you're going to take a position, at least get your facts straight.
Gender surgery is a serious, life-changing event that should not be looked upon lightly and the SOC are simple, easy to fulfill and make sense.
