A boy is cross dressed as a girl and admiring himself in the mirror.
As the name suggests, Gender Dysphoria is the discontentment with the one’s own sex that a child is born with. Children in Gender Dysphoria feel a strong urge to become a member of the opposite sex and develop a feeling of strong awkwardness and discomfort with the sex they are born with.
The causes for this type of disorder can be psychological, behavioural or even biological.
These types of cases are very complicated in nature and suicide attempt rate among children under this disorder is also very high. These children need a lot of emotional support and care from their family.
Doctors dealing with Gender Dysphoria, generally start by modifying the physical features of the body the patient feels comfortable in changes like hair style, clothes, toys etc. In cases it has been identified as a serious medical problem which is correctable by medical intervention, professional counselling and support from the family.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF GENDER DYSPHORIA
At least six of the following symptoms should exist for a minimum period of 6 months for a child to be diagnosed under gender dysphoria:
- Strong desire to be of the other gender or an insistence that he or she is the other gender.
- A strong desire to play the role of opposite sex in school plays and dramas.
- In boys a strong desire to dress up in female attire and in girls a strong simulating feeling to dress up like a boy.
- A strong urge to use toys used by the kids of other gender. Example a boy wanting to play with a Barbie doll, a girl wanting to play a muscular game.
- Strong desire to play with kids of the opposite gender.
- A strong dislike of one’s sexual anatomy
- Rejection of muscular toys, games and activities by boys and in girls a strong rejection of typically stereotyped feminine toys, games and activities.
- A very strong desire to have other gender’s sexual organs and features.
FACTS
In 80% of cases, the mother of the child suffering from gender dysphoria, has some psychiatric condition of her own.
CASE STUDIES
V, 16 was brought to the clinic by her parents after an intense the previous night, where V became verbally and physically aggressive towards her mother. V has cut her hair short and has silver bracelets on her hands, her outfit is boyish with her t-shirt stating “Girls are Punk”. She states she is a boy from inside, and she hates the feminism of girls and the colour pink. All her friends are boys and since she was a kid, she enjoyed watching WWE, action movies and playing with GIJOE and war games on computer. She smokes cigarettes because it makes her feel more like a guy. When asked about last night’s fight, she explains that while going out her mother forced her to wear a skirt and a top, and that triggered an intense anger in her. When asked about her sexual preference in personal interview, she stated she is attracted to girls in a sexual way, but prefers to hang out with boys. V further stated that she is embarrassed of her private parts and wants to have organs of a guy. She also confesses that after having alcohol, she becomes extremely aggressive and feels like a boy wants to come outside from her. After observing her behavioural patterns V was diagnosed with Gender Dysphoria.
