hello! my name's raven and i'm new to this website. originally, i had identified as a gay male and went by lance, but recently, i've been questioning my gender identity and i'm having a hard time identifying gender dysphoria. if someone wants to tell me how it feels like in their experience, i would greatly appreciate it, so i can have an idea for if i possibly have it. ofc, you don't have to speak up about your experience if you don't want to. thank you!
Hello Raven, welcome. I also am a 'former' gay male who identifies as different gender identity. But I don't have gender dysphoria so i cant tell you about my own feelings of it, but i do know somewhat about the general experience. Gender dysphoria feels different for everybody, and some of the most common ways it presents itself is: 1. Feeling of being born in the wrong body/wanting to be the opposite gender 2. Wanting to occupy a different social role than the one of the gender you were assigned at birth 3. Dislike of your body, or of specific body parts, and wishing you had a body of the opposite gender and many more..... The Mayo Clinic and American Pshychiatric association says that "Gender dysphoria is different from simply not conforming to stereotypical gender role behavior. Gender dysphoria involves feelings of distress due to a strong desire to be of another gender than the one assigned and by the extent and pervasiveness of gender-variant activities and interests." and "People with gender dysphoria may often experience significant distress and/or problems functioning associated with this conflict between the way they feel and think of themselves (referred to as experienced or expressed gender) and their physical or assigned gender." Ultimately, however, it is up to you to work out what your feelings of yourself are, in order to determine what you might be. A good therapist can help with the process too, if you are having trouble figuring out on your own. Good luck
Hi, Raven. What would be most helpful is for you to communicate what you are experiencing. Is there something you're yearning for that you don't have? Something about your body that doesn't seem like it belongs? The important thing to understand about being a teen is that it is completely normal to feel like you "don't fit in" or that you don't like your body. That, by itself, doesn't indicate dysphoria. But if it's deeper than that, then that's where it's useful to know what you're experiencing. If you can amplify a bit, I think it would help.
Very true if you feel comfortable to state how and importantly why you feel this way even if it doesn't makes sense to you at this time
