What are the symptoms of gender dysphoria? Transgender man explains

STEFAN: So what is
gender dysphoria,

where does it come from,
and what is it actually

like to experience
gender dysphoria?

I'm Stefan.

I'm a trans man, and I'm
here to talk to you today

about everything
gender dysphoria.

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Dysphoria comes
from the Greek word

dusphoría, 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 when a
trans person feels distress

because their 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
they 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's
correct name and pronouns.

Being referred to with
the correct pronouns

is a great feeling,
because it shows

you're recognized as how
you feel on the inside

by people on the outside.

When someone uses your old
name, it's called deadnaming,

and it can feel horrible
as a trans person.

Deadnaming makes social
dysphoria even worse

for trans people.

Lastly, we have
mental dysphoria, also

called emotional dysphoria.

This is when a
trans person feels

distress 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 lead

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 chest.

Gender dysphoria can
also be alleviated

by medically transitioning.

This includes taking
hormones and having

gender-reaffirming surgeries to
make our bodies match our gender

identities.

Not all trans people have
surgery or take hormones,

though.

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.

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