What is the psychology of gender identity?

This is going to be one of two psychology writings I am going to do!

The next psychological writing I am planning on doing is about sexuality.

I figured this would be very fun to write about and help others understand the knowledge of transgender minds.

What is the difference between sex and gender?

Sex is assigned at birth, referring to a persons biological status.
A sex could be male, female, or intersex.

Gender is an identity; most of the things under the transgender umbrella are things that do not conform to their sex.

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Is being transgender a mental disorder?

A mental disorder causes distress or disability.
Many transgender people do not find their identity stressful or anything of the sort.

On the other hand, having a lack of things people may want for their identity may be stressful.
But the short answer is no; it is not a mental disorder.

The desire to show ones gender in a way that feels comfortable or right is nothing but a normal aspect of human expression.

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Is being transgender a delusion?

The meaning of delusion is a false belief about external reality despite evidence.
Most transgender people are aware of their body, what sex they were assigned with, how they were raised, and their culture about gender.

Of course this does not mean all transgender people are not delusional; everyone can have mental illness, but just because a transgender person has mental illness does not mean it is about their gender.

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Does being transgender affect a persons mental health?

Some transgender people do not experience mental illness; others do that are not related to their gender.
But, for some, mental issues and gender identity are related; again, this does not mean all transgender people who have mental illness are about their gender.

There is trauma many transgender people go through over their identity, whether it be physical violence, sexual assault, bullying, discrimination, harassment, or prejudice, which can cause mental distress.

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What is gender dysphoria, and how does it affect mental health?

Gender dysphoria can occur to anyone at any point of their life; it is a feeling of discomfort over their sex or gender.
It is somewhat common for transgender people that have yet to transition.

If left untreated, gender dysphoria can cause emotional or psychological distress and lead to mental challenges such as depression, shame, social isolation, negative self-image, or poor self-esteem.

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Do transgender people need surgery?

This is a completely personal decision for transgender people; not all of them want to go through surgery; they are the only ones that can decide if they want to have surgery or not.
It is not necessary to do these surgeries if one does not want to.

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How do transgender people transition?

There are different ways people may transition; not everyone will transition all of these ways.
Again, it is up to the individual's choice to transition as they want.

Internal

This is when someone dresses differently in private, trains their voice to fit their gender, and calls themselves by a different name.
Usually, other people do not know about this transition other than the transgender person.

Social

This is when someone comes out to their friends and or family, dresses differently in public, uses a different voice when talking to people, and publicly goes by a different name and pronouns. 

Legal

This is when someone changes their name and gender on certain documents such as their ID, license, passport, birth certificate, social security number, immigration documents, school, job, health insurance, and more.

Physical

This is when someone will do certain things to change their appearance that are not medical.
For example, a transgender man might bind their chest to make it look flat or use a packer to give their groin a bulge.
Another example for transgender women is that they may stuff their bra to make it look like they have breasts and tuck their genitals to get rid of their bulge.

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Of course, everyone is different, everyone has different stories and purposes for what they do to their own being.

Any hate will be deleted! This is a safe space.