Do we have evidence for biochemical dysphoria?
Is there scientific, non-anecdotal evidence for what is described in the Gender Dysphoria Bible?
I ask because the theory is a big part of how I figured out I was trans, and it would be the easiest way to explain my transness to other people - I haven't had many stand-out experiences of the more commonly understood forms of gender dysphoria, and my life up to this point has basically been constant mental health struggles with a few light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel moments of gender euphoria.
But I don't know whether to risk bringing it up while trying to explain/justify myself to (potentially skeptical and poorly educated) healthcare providers and the like, as I pursue medical transition for the first time. Having evidence to point to would make it more convincing, I guess.
12 replies
Not exactly, but this is the closest afaik
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causes_of_gender_incongruence
That lists different research on trans individuals, such as MRIs and autopsies on trans brains. Most of the research has small sample sizes and is not all that extensive.
This actually helped crack my egg personally
It may not be surprising, but unfortunately there is rather little modern academic research on trans humans
It was already neglected before, but now there is pretty much a government blacklist of "DEI terminology" they will refuse to fund.
I only recently learned trans-mascs often experience bottom growth during HRT, and even something as curious as that is relatively ignored.
No one's been looking for evidence. Universities don't want to prioritise gender research, and transgender researchers worry that it'd be used to deny care. Therefore noone touches it except for a small number of fMRI studies that show similar brain usage to the gender a subset of trans patients identity as. But noone takes fMRI studies seriously so it's not really evidence per se. Also those studies had pretty small sample sizes.
The fact that there isn't a test is why I won't get treatment. Unless it's DIY. I know estrogen makes me feel better, but my dysphoria in other areas isn't that bad (all things considered).
Universities only research what can be funded by government.
They still have some freedom to research what they want, they just need to me convincing in their funding applications.
I'd just leave that specific terminology out of it, and talk about your experiences.
There's no diagnostic test for biochemical dysphoria. If there was one, I'd be really worried that it would be used more frequently to deny care than to provide it (i.e. make a test that's positive for a narrow subset of trans folks then deny care to anyone that doesn't test positive).
The evidence I have for it is that when I got on hrt it became abundantly clear to me that if I was to ever be forced to go back on T I would
::: spoiler tw blow my shit smoove off :::
If you think you need to lean into the more stereotypical dysphoria descriptions to get yourself through the door to treatment just fucking do it. Non specialist doctors (and even many specialist gender doctors inside transphobic medical systems) know fuck all about trans people or their experience. They are there to gatekeep you and deny care.
Lie to your doctors if you have to in order to be taken seriously. If you have trans comrades in the same healthcare system as you, ask them what worked for them.
If you have access to informed consent care, that's always better, but most of us have to navigate a system of gatekeepers. It sucks but you do what have to get the bag (of hormones).
talk to medical professionals like you're a checklist, that's all they've read and know, which to elaborate on means anything outside their checklist is automatically viewed as indecisiveness, confusion, wrong diagnosis and attempts to manipulate the result
anecdotally i can tell you i've never felt actively dysphoric, genuinely could not care less what people refer to me as or consider me to be, i often introduce myself with masculine pronouns just so it's simpler for them and it doesn't affect me one bit, but without estrogen my brain is violently disconnected from reality
If you've never felt dysphoric, how did you end up finding this out? I'm super curious as to what you were/are feeling that led you to discovering this.
no idea
disconnected brain don't make no memories
i do ask myself that too tho
I don't think there is evidence in terms of what causes it. People definitely get it, that much is known. No one knows exactly why though. Maybe that's a good thing because they would totally use it to decide who deserves and doesn't deserve treatment in the case there are outliers.