Gender Identity Disorder: Is it a psychological disorder?
When you are born, you are identified as either a female or male; this is your biological sex. Gender identity is the way you identify yourself. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), Gender Identity Disorder (GID) is the persistent desire to be the opposite sex, persistent discomfort of one's sex and there has to be evidence of significant distress in social, occupational and other important areas. Many argue that Gender Identity Disorder is labeling transgender as mentally ill. In an article published by advocate.com, it is stated that in the new edition of the DSM, DSM-V, this disorder will be changed to Gender Dysphoria. The video below gives an introduction to the debate on whether GID is an illness.
As you can see, people who identify themselves as the opposite sex feel as if they are being forced to believe they are psychologically ill. ABC published an article explaining the features of GID in children, adolescents and adults. GID can be diagnosed as early as in childhood. The main observation in children is the toy preference and gender roles of the opposite sex during play time. Early research suggests that gender identification is affected by environmental factors, but recent research suggests that gender identity might be influenced by prenatal hormones. Therefore, if gender identity does not match biological sex, is it correct to label it as a disorder?
In my opinion, Gender Identity Disorder should not be classified as a mental disorder because I believe that people like that are just the same as us but just a little different. There is nothing mentally wrong with them so they should not be labeled as having a "mental" disorder.
I don't feel this is a disorder either, there is nothing wrong with people who feel trapped in a different body, technically hormones decide what gender we're going to be and too much of a certain may have made them not who they felt they were supposed to be. There isn't a way to really cure anything, there is an actual physical change that has to occur and change in what gender that person is.
In my opinion, Gender Identity Disorder should not be classified as a mental disorder because I believe that people like that are just the same as us but just a little different. There is nothing mentally wrong with them so they should not be labeled as having a "mental" disorder.
ReplyDeleteI don't feel this is a disorder either, there is nothing wrong with people who feel trapped in a different body, technically hormones decide what gender we're going to be and too much of a certain may have made them not who they felt they were supposed to be. There isn't a way to really cure anything, there is an actual physical change that has to occur and change in what gender that person is.
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