So what is gender dysphoria?
Where does it come from?
And what is it actually like
to experience gender dysphoria?
I'm Stephan, I'm a trans man,
and I'm here to talk to you today
about everything gender dysphoria.
[Gender dysphoria]
Dysphoria comes from
the Greek word dysphoria,
which means a state
of discomfort or unease.
Gender dysphoria
is when a person feels distress
because their gender identity
does not match up with the gender
they were assigned at birth.
There are three main kinds of dysphoria:
physical dysphoria, social dysphoria,
and mental dysphoria.
Physical dysphoria is one
of transfers and feels distress
because that body doesn't match up
with the gender they truly are.
For example, trans men
often have dysphoria about our chests.
This is because this physical trait
doesn't align with our true male genders,
and this can cause us
to feel discomfort and stress.
We can fix that by having top surgery,
which is a procedure
that removes breast tissue
and creates a more masculine
appearing chest.
The second type of dysphoria
is social dysphoria.
This is when a trans person
feels distress in social situations
because it might be misgendered
or mistaken for the gender
they were assigned at birth
rather than their true gender.
This is made worse when other people
don't make the effort
to use a trans person
correct name or pronouns.
Being referred to
with the correct pronouns
is a great feeling
because it shows you'll recognize
as how you feel on the inside
by people on the outside.
Someone uses your old name
is called dead naming,
and it can feel horrible
as a trans person.
Dead naming makes social dysphoria
even worse for trans people.
Lastly, we have mental dysphoria,
also called emotional dysphoria.
This is when a trans person
feels too stressed
because of their worries
about transitioning
and the disconnect between
their true gender and assigned gender.
This can be the hardest kind
of dysphoria to escape
because it's something
that's always lingering in your mind.
Trans people can be badly affected
by dysphoria mentally as well.
If left untreated, dysphoria
can loop to social isolation,
poor mental health,
and in some cases, self-harm and suicide.
One way trans people
help lessen their dysphoria
is by altering their appearance
to reflect their true gender.
This can be done by changing their hair,
wearing more gendered clothes,
or binding or padding their chests.
Gender dysphoria can also be alleviated
by medically transitioning.
This includes taking hormones
and having gender affirming surgeries
to make our bodies
match our gender identities.
Not all trans people
have surgery or take hormones.
It's not a required part
of being transgender or non-binary.
If you or someone you know
is struggling with dysphoria,
check the link in the description below
to find a list of organizations
that can help.