So i have always used the medical term Gender dysphoria to describe what i go through and alot of us here use that term in our community on Susans. I don't think it is a bad thing to choose those words, i feel like it brings us closer to use words that identify a certain feeling that we all go through.
But actually, alot of transgender activists take issue with that term being used at all.
Why?
Well, the medical diagnosis Gender Identity Disorder or Gender Dysphoria can be abused in a way where some transgender folks can not access hormones.
Accessing hormones is a really significant part of our transitions and why should we as transgender people have to prove our desire to transition to a psychiatrist by being diagnosed with a serious mental illness?
I've become aware that maybe not every transgender person suffers from mental illness, and that some people have dysphoria but not to the extent of a mental diagnosis that these doctors want to diagnose us with.
Because of this form of policing hormones, alot of transgender people don't get to be their real selves without having to prove themselves to be mentally ill.
Another disorder is called endoctrine disorder which is a hormone disorder that requires hrt. I actually think the facility is only using it for trans people for political reasons. I'm proud to say i'm going to a facility that skips months of therapy to be diagnosed with GID or GD for hormone access. i'm saving alot of money this way, and i think more facilities need to adopt this form of treatment. It's still problematic, but it's much less of a problem than how trans people are being treated by the medical industry here in America when they diagnose trans folks and that process. 

Do you use the words gender dysphoria or GID? I think it's okay to use those words in our community, but medically and politically, i don't agree with this form of gate keeping.

I used to refuse to use either term, but now I talk about dysphoria because it is an accepted word in the community, and everybody knows what I'm talking about when I bring it up. GID I tend to only mention when talking to trans people, and in the context of letter acquisition and gatekeeping.

There will always be disagreement about terms both within and outside of our community. I personaly believe Geder Dysphoria is less stigmatising than Gender Identity Disorder. It speaks to the condition with out putting a value on it one way or another. I also like the term Gender Variant. I use both when talking to people in and outside the transgender community.

On somedays though when I am feeling pushed around by the world I think of myself as genderf*** now I am not going to use that term with my grandmother or even my parents, but I like what it says.

Huggs

Emily

I usually just say I have gender issues/ don't feel comfortable in my skin

Ofcourse people will usually ask further about what that means but as long as it stays clear of "->-bleeped-<-" "Man-girl" etcetc I am fine with a lot of terms

I feel most comfy with just Transgender or mild/strong Gender Dysphoria, but for most cis-people that's too misty so I use that for people close or in the support group/therapists I go to

I tend to avoid labels, although I sometimes use the term transgender as a short cut when talking with non trans people as many already understand the word. I occasionally use gender dysphoria when talking with others here, as it's a recognized term. I prefer to not use Gender Identity Disorder to describe my life at all. I don't consider who I am to be a medical diagnosis or pathology. If anything, society is the one suffering from Gender Dysphoria, an inability to recognize or accept a diverse continuum of gender.

Z

I use GID and GD because my medical team use it and understand my issues in light of the definition. Terms are often difficult for all of use as we don't want to be labelled and thought of as some freak. I know many members get upset over various words to describe 'the condition' and I try to be sensitive about it, as I think most of us do. But in the end if we want to talk about ourselves and our treatments in life etc that we have to use defining words.  My family doctor refers to my condition as transgender issues, and he is comfortable with that, and I don't care, he has been a great family doctor and a friend throughout my life.

I usually explain my state as being transgendered when people ask me, if I respond to them at all.

But labels are just words. I try not to label other people and they earn my respect if they do not label me.

Cindy

For me, "dysphoria" (the feeling of being uncomfortable with a situation/condition) only occurs when I look in the mirror, or while having "man"-style sex (ie, intercourse).

Otherwise, I use "transgender issues" when talking about me.

Here in the EU TSism is no longer to be seen as a mental problem and there is no need to use a shrink to get treatment though that message still has to filter past the health services.

I don't like it because people use it to just be as depressive and emo as possible.  Boo hoo me, my life is so sad. I don't want to be like that, and it only ever makes me feel worse, so I never talk about my dysphoria.

Quote from: pretty on December 06, 2011, 11:42:13 AM
I don't like it because people use it to just be as depressive and emo as possible.  Boo hoo me, my life is so sad. I don't want to be like that, and it only ever makes me feel worse, so I never talk about my dysphoria.

I think you all describe well the medical stigma that comes with the term.
I am angry with my journey because I would like to get hrt, to start, even if it requires admitting my psichological limits.
Anyway gid describes only the dismorphic condition i feel when i see myslf in the mirror, or the black pain I feel in the tomach when i want something other women have and I cant have, babies, or even cute things i cant wear because i look like a man, a normal childhood, and so on...
Gid altough considered sometimes a mental disorder is just a condition.
The psicological limits that come with it are really bad, and very different, skizophrenia, suiidal toughts, depression, bipolar dpression, social insulation, anxiety.
Basically gid is just a psicological word, very few people i hope think is also a disease.

Quote from: pretty on December 06, 2011, 11:42:13 AM
I don't like it because people use it to just be as depressive and emo as possible.  Boo hoo me, my life is so sad. I don't want to be like that, and it only ever makes me feel worse, so I never talk about my dysphoria.

Pretty, I find that even when I'm not self-pitying, it's useful to have a word for the dysphoria feeling. Talking about what makes me more or less dysphoric helps me figure out which details of my life I can rearrange to make myself more comfortable.

And the whole point of this site is to share our experiences. For me, it's a lot better to do it here than in most other realms of my life.

I have a condition termed in the DSM as gender identity disorder and experience gender dysphoria. I use these terms because they accurately describe my experience.  I will continue to use them until something that more accurately describes me comes along.

Gosh, reading through these posts takes me back pre-op, only 2 1/2 month ago! And it seem now more like ages!

I do feel so blessed that this GID stuff has become something of the past - and hopefully will remain just there.

I so wish for you all to be able one day soon from now to shake it and leave it all behind by something I call GCS (Genital Corrective Surgery).

I never expected it would have such a radical effect on GID, but there I am. GID seems now what some other folks happen to have, not me, and did I have it BADLY - amazing.

Not to make anyone feel sad, but I just had to share this as it was not entirely what I expected to happen post-op in one fell swoop.

Axélle
PS: Sorry if that was a bit off subject, but GID is what I called it. In fact GID-attacks when they hit hard.

Quote from: Axélle on December 06, 2011, 10:57:17 PM
Gosh, reading through these posts takes me back pre-op, only 2 1/2 month ago! And it seem now more like ages!

I do feel so blessed that this GID stuff has become something of the past - and hopefully will remain just there.

I so wish for you all to be able one day soon from now to shake it and leave it all behind by something I call GCS (Genital Corrective Surgery).

I never expected it would have such a radical effect on GID, but there I am. GID seems now what some other folks happen to have, not me, and did I have it BADLY - amazing.

Not to make anyone feel sad, but I just had to share this as it was not entirely what I expected to happen post-op in one fell swoop.

Axélle

You are still in the honeymoon period.    I'm not saying it will ever be as bad as it was, but for some it never fully goes away.  It all depends on what triggered your dysphoria originally.  If you haven't corrected those triggers or neutralized them, they will find a way to come back.

QuoteI so wish for you all to be able one day soon from now to shake it and leave it all behind by something I call GCS (Genital Corrective Surgery).

I think I'll shake it a little better with chest corrective surgery.

Quote from: brIAnna (interalia) on December 06, 2011, 11:00:03 PM
You are still in the honeymoon period.    I'm not saying it will ever be as bad as it was, but for some it never fully goes away.  It all depends on what triggered your dysphoria originally.  If you haven't corrected those triggers or neutralized them, they will find a way to come back.

Oh ->-bleeped-<-e! Something to cheer ME up for Xmas :-)

Yet, is was mostly not having a vj and having a 'dangle' with those 'twins' in a pouch - so that got fixed.

Other big issues like not bearing children seemed to have magically vanished along with the dangle and twins - something I had not expected.

Should I look for more GID? Hell no!!!! Let sleeping dogs lie :-)

Axélle

My understanding of why one has initially to be diagnosed by a psychiatrist (in the UK, anyway) is not because gender dysphoria is considered a mental illness, but specifically because there are actual mental illnesses that can present with apparent gender dysphoria as one of their symptoms. The job of the initial screening by a psychiatrist is to ensure that you have dysphoria (which is not considered a mental illness), and not a mental health issue that resembles dysphoria - and also in general to establish whether you have any "co-morbid" mental health issues, which they would want to help with alongside of helping you with your gender dysphoria (because just because we have gender dysphoria doesn't mean we don't possibly have other stuff going on too).

I have hardly ever used the term myself, maybe very rarely here on this forum. I tend just to tell people "I'm going through a gender transition", since it's something happening, not something I "am". I do experience dysphoria, but since not many people know what that is, it's easier to explain how I'm feeling than to give it a label - and then have to explain anyway.

Quote from: Torn1990 on December 05, 2011, 06:05:03 PM
  So i have always used the medical term Gender dysphoria to describe what i go through and alot of us here use that term in our community on Susans. I don't think it is a bad thing to choose those words, i feel like it brings us closer to use words that identify a certain feeling that we all go through.
But actually, alot of transgender activists take issue with that term being used at all.
Why?
Well, the medical diagnosis Gender Identity Disorder or Gender Dysphoria can be abused in a way where some transgender folks can not access hormones.
Accessing hormones is a really significant part of our transitions and why should we as transgender people have to prove our desire to transition to a psychiatrist by being diagnosed with a serious mental illness?
I've become aware that maybe not every transgender person suffers from mental illness, and that some people have dysphoria but not to the extent of a mental diagnosis that these doctors want to diagnose us with.
Because of this form of policing hormones, alot of transgender people don't get to be their real selves without having to prove themselves to be mentally ill.
Another disorder is called endoctrine disorder which is a hormone disorder that requires hrt. I actually think the facility is only using it for trans people for political reasons. I'm proud to say i'm going to a facility that skips months of therapy to be diagnosed with GID or GD for hormone access. i'm saving alot of money this way, and i think more facilities need to adopt this form of treatment. It's still problematic, but it's much less of a problem than how trans people are being treated by the medical industry here in America when they diagnose trans folks and that process. 

Do you use the words gender dysphoria or GID? I think it's okay to use those words in our community, but medically and politically, i don't agree with this form of gate keeping.

One concern I would have with going through a facility that doesn't need a therapist recommendation for me anyway, is in order for my insurance to cover surgery therapy is a must.  Would it be easier without the therapy?  Sure, but it's also much cheaper for me through my insurance to go through therapy.  I actually lucked out and found a therapist that's also an FTM Trans which has been very beneficial.   

Quote from: YinYanga on December 05, 2011, 07:11:44 PM
I usually just say I have gender issues/ don't feel comfortable in my skin

Ofcourse people will usually ask further about what that means but as long as it stays clear of "->-bleeped-<-" "Man-girl" etcetc I am fine with a lot of terms

I feel most comfy with just Transgender or mild/strong Gender Dysphoria, but for most cis-people that's too misty so I use that for people close or in the support group/therapists I go to

I find myself just saying Transgender to most people in and outside the Trans community.  Most people know what it means and what I'm referring to so it works. 

I just use trans or transgender to refer to this stuff. Everyone I've told hasn't had an issue understanding the terms, except for one or two people. One person thought I was telling them I was intersex (using a much outdated term, ugh) -.- I really dislike GID as there's nothing wrong with my gender!