Transsexuality: Gender Identity Or Psychological Disorder?
In the past, society considered that most of behaviors, orientations and sexual identities removed from heteronormativity were due to the existence of psychological problems. Over the years, minority groups have been achieving greater social acceptance, while the different studies carried out reflected that these groups did not suffer from any type of pathology.
This is what has been happening little by little with aspects of sexual orientations such as homosexuality and bisexuality. However, in the case of sexual identity, the debate on this matter has been a little longer over time, with transsexuality appearing until recently reflected in the main diagnostic classifications.
Let’s talk about transsexuality: A gender identity issue or a psychological disorder?
It is understood by transsexual that person who feels the existence of a continued incongruence over time between their biological sex and their gender identity. This incongruence usually causes the person to desire to begin a transformation process in order to live in accordance with the gender felt as their own, using elements such as hormones and surgery.
Gender identity, as a sexual self-concept What each person has about themselves and the value we give to said identity is something that is largely socially mediated. Being a man or woman implies different things depending on the society or culture in which we live, implications that may seem more or less close to our own identity.
The definition of transsexuality cited above indicates the existence of an inadequacy between the physical and the psychological. The underlying question is whether this feeling of inadequacy occurs as a normal reaction to a difference between the mental and the physical or, on the contrary, constitutes a disorder.
Why do some still consider it a psychological disorder?
Aside from issues linked to tradition and the beliefs of a part of the population in this regard, the main reason why transsexuality has been considered a disorder until now is based on the concept of gender dysphoria.
gender dysphoria
Gender dysphoria is understood as the deep frustration and discomfort that many people have in relation to their own body, considering that it is not what they should have, considering that it does not correspond to their own gender identity.
This psychological phenomenon can cause great stress and anxiety in addition to self-esteem problems, depressive and anxious disorders and the display of isolation and self-concealment behaviors.
It is for this reason that in diagnostic manuals such as the DSM, gender dysphoria is still valid as a triggering factor for discomfort related to transsexuality.
Transsexuality does not necessarily imply dysphoria
However, gender dysphoria should not be identified with transsexuality. It is not necessary to want to transform or live as the opposite sex to feel discomfort with the assigned gender role, in the same way that it is not necessary to feel bad about oneself to want to make such a transition.
And although it can happen, Not all transsexuals feel a deep dislike for their bodies. or this is not a bigger problem for them than the desire to change. For example, there are transsexuals who do not see it necessary to make a total physical change, choosing to take hormones and change their wardrobe and way of acting in pursuit of what they feel most appropriate.
In this way, not every transsexual person will have especially marked gender dysphoria that causes suffering. In fact, it is even possible that more than suffering, the fact of realizing one’s true gender identity can be experienced as a liberation for those who have seen their identity repressed.
Other arguments against its consideration as a disorder
The conclusions drawn from various investigations reflect that transsexuality is not a disorder, using different arguments for this.
First of all, it must be taken into account that the existence of an identity is not in itself pathological so when dealing with transsexuality the existence of an identity divergent from the biological one could not be considered a disorder.
Secondly, it is important to take into account the fact that, as a general rule, people who want to change their sex and do so with the appropriate psychological, hormonal and in some cases surgical treatment present an improvement in their quality of life compared to when They had not expressed their sexual identity. Furthermore, the very consideration that it is a disorder causes obvious harm and high stigmatization to the transsexual population, favoring transphobia and inequality.
Finally, it must be taken into account that the desire to undergo body modifications such as cosmetic surgery is not considered pathological as long as it does not threaten gender stereotypes. Modifying our weight with liposuction, changing the shape of the nose through rhinoplasty or injecting botulinum toxin implies that we do not like what was previously present and we want to change it, without necessarily being cases of Body Dysmorphic Disorder. The same goes for sexual characteristics and identity.
Although until now transsexuality has been included as a mental disorder in the predominant diagnostic classifications worldwide, such as the DSM-IV, which includes it as a disorder under the name of Sexual Identity Disorder or the ICD-10 (here the term transsexualism appears as a mental disorder), this fact is about to change.
The World Health Organization, which publishes the International Classification of Diseases or ICD, which includes mental disorders (being in this sense another of the global reference manuals along with the DSM), will publish throughout 2018 the next edition of the ICD, ICD-11.
As happened in its previous version (published in 1990) with homosexuality, the WHO will no longer consider transsexuality a mental disorder. Instead, transsexuality will be considered a condition related to sexual health, under the name of gender incongruence.
