Trans Diagnosis: Medical, Psychological or ... for medical paths (surgery, hormones, etc.)

weatherboi · 01-04-2010, 11:06 AM

I don't really hold issue with being diagnosed with something that is classified as a mental disorder. What we have discussed in therapy pertains to the necessity of the classificaion/category of diagnosis. No diagnosis no place to start in order to provide health care or long/short/emergency term disability care where needed. My therapist made me do some homework for my own preparation and here are a couple of articles I came across. Unfortunately destigmatizing would/could mean hurting progress not helping. As far as trying to tie our situation with a physical diagnosis I have been told not possible from my doctor.

http://www.transadvocate.com/destigm...ssexuality.htm

http://birdofparadox.wordpress.com/2...ental-illness/

http://lezgetreal.com/?p=8205

http://dentedbluemercedes.wordpress....ranssexuality/

daisygrrl · 01-04-2010, 11:39 AM

I feel like I need to “out myself” from the beginning: I do not idenitfy as "trans" but I’ve thought about these ideas for several years, as a humanitarian and as having partnered with self-identified trans persons in the past.

The crux of this argument for me is: does a diagnosis, which is imposed and used as the main indicator of “truth” (scientifically speaking), erase agency? I really like Hudson’s post because it helps me reframe my worries a bit into thinking that maybe the more important question is, “How can we create spaces of agency within the discourses of sex/sexuality/all diagnoses/and even trauma?”

As far as de-stigmatizing (meaning the removal of cultural belief of a “defect”), WeatherB, I think it’s an important project in regard to any clinical diagnosis. I just wish the individual’s personal identification was privileged over medical discourse.

weatherboi · 01-04-2010, 02:00 PM

Hiya daisygrrl-
Glad you joined in humanitarian!!!

I think in order to create what you are asking may involve creating an equal empathy playing field for all patients and all medical diagnosises. Medical discourse can almost be like an "ism". Doctors/medical providers/health insurance workers/people in general, and their personal ideologies/prejudices get in the way and create an oppressive structure stemming from unconscious behavior or not unconscious behavior coming from my own personal experince. I agree with you...I wish all peoples personal medical needs would be recognized and not structurally marginalized/minimized.

atomiczombie · 01-04-2010, 02:28 PM

Talking about it as a mental disorder implies, to me, that we are mentally ill. That is the basis upon which people have been institutionalized, treated with drugs such as anti-psychotics, and told that they are sick and need to be treated. That "treatment" has screwed up so many trans people and led to many suicides. A mental disorder is something to be treated by fixing the person's mind, not their body. So I hate that it is classified this way.

01-04-2010, 11:06 AM	#1
weatherboi Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Owned boy Preferred Pronoun?: Hey boy!!! Relationship Status: counting freckles slowly under Her direction!!! Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: i have 2 sets of geographic coordinates!!! Posts: 6,097 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 26,797 Thanked 12,549 Times in 2,993 Posts Rep Power: 21474858	I don't really hold issue with being diagnosed with something that is classified as a mental disorder. What we have discussed in therapy pertains to the necessity of the classificaion/category of diagnosis. No diagnosis no place to start in order to provide health care or long/short/emergency term disability care where needed. My therapist made me do some homework for my own preparation and here are a couple of articles I came across. Unfortunately destigmatizing would/could mean hurting progress not helping. As far as trying to tie our situation with a physical diagnosis I have been told not possible from my doctor. http://www.transadvocate.com/destigm...ssexuality.htm http://birdofparadox.wordpress.com/2...ental-illness/ http://lezgetreal.com/?p=8205 http://dentedbluemercedes.wordpress....ranssexuality/ Last edited by weatherboi; 01-04-2010 at 11:09 AM. Reason: I forgot to add last 2 links.

01-04-2010, 11:39 AM	#2
daisygrrl Member How Do You Identify?: mouthy but adorable; kinky Gerbera Preferred Pronoun?: hey, cutie (or dudette) Relationship Status: xoxo Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: The South (Gooogia peach) Posts: 475 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,157 Thanked 525 Times in 223 Posts Rep Power: 1065210	I feel like I need to “out myself” from the beginning: I do not idenitfy as "trans" but I’ve thought about these ideas for several years, as a humanitarian and as having partnered with self-identified trans persons in the past. The crux of this argument for me is: does a diagnosis, which is imposed and used as the main indicator of “truth” (scientifically speaking), erase agency? I really like Hudson’s post because it helps me reframe my worries a bit into thinking that maybe the more important question is, “How can we create spaces of agency within the discourses of sex/sexuality/all diagnoses/and even trauma?” As far as de-stigmatizing (meaning the removal of cultural belief of a “defect”), WeatherB, I think it’s an important project in regard to any clinical diagnosis. I just wish the individual’s personal identification was privileged over medical discourse. __________________ You can’t change that system by just getting your own rights, tinkering with the engine and leaving. You have to take on the whole machine. --Riki Anne Wilchins Hold on to the lessons, let go of the pain. --Leslie Feinberg

01-04-2010, 02:28 PM	#4
atomiczombie Member How Do You Identify?: Femmesensual Transguy Preferred Pronoun?: He, Him, His Relationship Status: Dating Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Rio Vista, CA Posts: 1,225 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 3,949 Thanked 3,220 Times in 759 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	Talking about it as a mental disorder implies, to me, that we are mentally ill. That is the basis upon which people have been institutionalized, treated with drugs such as anti-psychotics, and told that they are sick and need to be treated. That "treatment" has screwed up so many trans people and led to many suicides. A mental disorder is something to be treated by fixing the person's mind, not their body. So I hate that it is classified this way. __________________ http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/k...orums_2000.gif Russian Unicorn http://occupiedmedia.us/

01-04-2010, 02:00 PM	#3
weatherboi Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Owned boy Preferred Pronoun?: Hey boy!!! Relationship Status: counting freckles slowly under Her direction!!! Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: i have 2 sets of geographic coordinates!!! Posts: 6,097 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 26,797 Thanked 12,549 Times in 2,993 Posts Rep Power: 21474858	Hiya daisygrrl- Glad you joined in humanitarian!!! I think in order to create what you are asking may involve creating an equal empathy playing field for all patients and all medical diagnosises. Medical discourse can almost be like an "ism". Doctors/medical providers/health insurance workers/people in general, and their personal ideologies/prejudices get in the way and create an oppressive structure stemming from unconscious behavior or not unconscious behavior coming from my own personal experince. I agree with you...I wish all peoples personal medical needs would be recognized and not structurally marginalized/minimized.