What are the symptoms of gender dysphoria? Transgender man explains

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 "δυσφορία,"

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
that 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's
correct name and pronouns.

Being referred to
with the correct pronouns

is a great feeling

because it shows you recognize
as how you feel on the inside

by people on the outside.

When someone uses your old name
is 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 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-reaffirming 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.