1. This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn More.

Talking with my psychiatrist about my gender dysphoria?

Discussion in 'Gender Identity and Expression' started by apocalypseHow, Dec 28, 2011.

  1. A few days ago, I told my psychiatrist that I thought I was transgendered. I told him about how masculinity felt gross and how femininity felt comfortable and sometimes even blissful in comparison.

    That, of course is the short version.

    It was only supposed to be a brief fifteen minute appointment to make sure my ADD medication was working right, so we only talked for a little while. He decided to schedule another full-length (45 min) psychotherapy session. We'll probably 'review' what I told him last time, but I really don't know what else to tell him. I don't want to be caught off guard by one of his questions and not articulate something right, as this is a very complicated subject. This is crucial, as I really want to get a reccomendation for HRT.

    To those of you who have transitioned, what did you talk about during your therapy sessions? To those of you who have not or are not TG, what do you think I SHOULD talk about during the session.

    On a side note, this whole situation makes me very happy. My psychiatrist seemed very sympathetic to how I'm feeling. "It's tough to go through this at such a young age" He said. BTW: I'm almost sixteen. This feels like a very important milestone in my transition to becoming a woman, and I'm very happy that my long-time psychiatrist wants to help me, and I'm sure he will.
     
  2. Fiddledeedee

    Full Member

    Joined:
    May 10, 2011
    Messages:
    955
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    England
    I'm afraid I've never been to therapy or anything, but I would assume that it is best to just say what you feel about your gender; if necessary, I expect you could get a referral to a gender therapist. You could tell him before you start the session that you are worried about not articulationg something right, and it may well be a good idea to work out answers for likely questions before you go. For information, discussion, stories, etc. about all things trans, you may want to take a look at this thread (warning: it's reached 9 pages, with some mammoth posts!). I haven't read it all so I don't know how much talk there is about therapy, but it's incredibly informative. Good luck!
     
  3. Hexagon

    Full Member

    Joined:
    May 1, 2011
    Messages:
    8,558
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Earth
    I talked about how long I'd felt like a guy, how intense my feeling are, what I would do to transition. That sorta thing.
     
  4. pinkclare

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2011
    Messages:
    240
    Likes Received:
    14
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Gender:
    Male
    Gender Pronoun:
    He
    Sexual Orientation:
    Gay
    Out Status:
    Out to everyone
    I had a super hard time with this. Mostly because I didn't want to be in therapy, didn't need therapy, and was only there because my doctor required a letter before prescribing hormones. My therapist was unhappy with me because she thought I didn't talk enough and I was unhappy with her because I thought that since she was playing the role of gatekeeper she should ask questions to learn whatever she thought she needed to know to write the letter.

    In the end she gave me a writing assignment with various questions about my history of gender dysphoria, my support system, self-harm, coping mechanisms, etc.
     
  5. Katelynn

    Full Member

    Joined:
    Jun 29, 2011
    Messages:
    811
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Sarnia, ON
    What's important to remember is that the questions your psychiatrist will ask you are very important in determining the best way for you to transition. There really arent any right or wrong answers when you are in therapy, but when you are looking to move forward with something as serious as transitioning, be as honest as you can, not only with your doctor, but especially with yourself. There are many trans people who start transitioning & then decide they want to either delay or stop transitioning later, so paying attention to how you feel is so crucial. Also, there have been instances of people who tell their therapist what they think the therapist wants to hear so that they can get on hormones, because they feel it will be a cure all. Hormones are amazing & they bring a lot of changes, but there are also risks too. This is the reason why the Harry Benjamin Standards of Care exist. Another tip I can give you is to familiarize yourself with the HBSOC, it will help you to understand the process a bit. It isnt a set of hard & fast rules so much as it is a guideline for diagnosticians, but it does help a lot. Here's a link to the Harry Benjamin SOC: Standards of Care When I went to my first appt with my therapist, I brought a copy of this along with me & I felt it started things off on the right foot.

    Here's some of the DSM-IV GID info on how the diagnosis is rendered by the therapist: DSM-IV Gender Identity Disorder and Transvestic Fetishism This should help with understanding the kinds of questions you might be asked. But dont use this as a cheat sheet, being trans isnt something where you necessarilly tick off each box & boom! your diagnosed with GID. Sometimes it can be more complicated or simple than that.

    Here is a link to a PDF that outlines hormones for MTF a bit http://transhealth.vch.ca/resources/library/tcpdocs/consumer/hormones-MTF.pdf . While not exhaustive, it should give you a good starting point to educate yourself about what's involved with being on hormones. In fact, I chat with several trans women elsewhere online & Ive been told flat out that being on hormone replacement therapy is pretty much like going thru 2nd puberty AND PMS AT THE SAME TIME. Ive already had a couple of my gf's IRL tell me they'd help me thru all of the heavy emotional & mental changes of becoming a woman (they're actually pretty excited - one of them compared it to seeing me go from being a little girl to a young woman to a grown woman, although she curses me a bit for not being able to endure thru having my period like she still does! lol!) I got referred by my doctor earlier this month, & it helped quite a bit that I could explain &, even more importantly, understand the risks involved. Educating yourself about what transitioning means & what is invloved is important & every trans person goes thru that as part of the starting point in their journey. A lot of people think that hormones are a cure all, or that changes will happen really quickly - they dont. Hormones take time to do their thing & they dont automatically change everything about you. Secondary female sex characteristics will develop, but youll still be the same person you are on the inside - like the same foods, music, movies, etc. - in short, your personality will remain the same. This is also why your therapist may ask a lot of questions, just to make sure there isnt any underlying issues that need to be dealt with first.

    Whew! Well, I hope all of that long rambling of a post helps! (*hug*)

    Edit: If you are sure you are trans, you want to try to avoid gatekeepers. I have a thread somewhere here on EC on how I chose my therapist & all of the questions I ASKED HER. Yep, thats right, you should absolutely ask & you certainly have the right to ask all the questions you need to to make sure your therapist is right for you, especially in helping you transition! So dont ever be afraid to speak up, voice concerns or question your therapist if you feel they arent always serving your best interests by dragging their feet or anything else!
     
    #5 Katelynn, Dec 31, 2011
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2011
  6. StarofMiyu

    Regular Member

    Joined:
    May 1, 2011
    Messages:
    201
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Canædia
    ...people generally know from when they're born so where did the psychiatrists tough to go through this at a young age comment come from, nevertheless I hope you get your appointment in a reasonable amount of time.