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Depression and Gender Identity

Discussion in 'Gender Identity and Expression' started by wandering i, Oct 15, 2012.

  1. wandering i

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    I would like to know about other people's experiences with gender identity and depression, because I am concerned that I may only feel my birth gender is so wrong because of my altered mental state.
    I have only recently started medicinal treatment for depression after dealing with it for most of my life, and I'm concerned that when I am 'better' I will not have the same feelings about my gender that have been with me since puberty. I have spent so much of my life distancing myself from my birth gender (though I only learned about trans* people and identity in the past year or two). And I accept myself as trans*, and am willing, and want to explore it much more right now.
    I have done a lot of small and easy things to make myself a little more comfortable, but I'm at a point that it's becoming not enough. My worry is, if it's primarily a symptom of my disease, I am hesitant to take further action, even if I feel compelled to do so.

    I want to clarify that I in no way think being trans* is a mental disease- absolutely not. I'm only concerned about my particular situation and want to know about other's experiences with the disease of depression and how it affected identity.
    Thank you for your understanding and I hope I haven't offended, I am new to communicating with others about this kind of thing and think you are all beautiful people.
     
  2. Cassandra

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    Well, I don't think I ever had depression, but I don't think your gender identity has anything to do with that illness.

    I mean, if you lived with that feeling, I don't think lifting the depression would change that.

    Anyway, the only correct answer is, wait and see. Examine (don't judge) your feelings towards your gender while in treatment. Be impartial (as much as you can, anyway) and don't let any little variation on your thoughts to distract you.

    Ahh, anyway, hope someone that has passed through this may help you more. (*hug*)
     
  3. wandering i

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    I wonder if there is a connection between the two because my disease (minor depression) surfaced at the time I began puberty, the time I stopped being an androgynous child. So I have never experienced life without depression as a sexed creature.

    It's also only during the very depressed times that I recall it being so stressful to be seen as my birth gender- especially strangers meeting me for the first time. And rather than my general mid-gender, I find myself needing to pass as the other sex.
    Outside of the depressive episodes I didn't care about what other people thought, and I was more able to live without worrying about gender too much.
    Which makes me wonder- if the depression is completely gone (or being treated consistently enough to be invisible), will I swing over to my birth gender? That thought bothers me now, but I am open to any possibility.
     
  4. DhammaGamer

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    Depression associated with a chemical imbalance in the brain is not correlated with gender dysphoria. The medicines given to assist with chemically induced depression are not going to positively impact a person suffering from gender dysphoria in the same way that hormone replacement therapy will. If your central nervous system is being flooded with testosterone when it is craving estrogen, the feelings of discomfort regarding your physical sex are not going to go away.
     
  5. wandering i

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    I don't know anything about what is going on with me or if it is gender dysphoria. So I really appreciate your reply and the information, thank you.