Gender identity, also known as gender incongruence or gender dysphoria, may be experienced by transgender individuals and others whose gender does not align with the gender they were assigned at birth. Some people may develop mental health concerns as a result of distress experienced with gender dysphoria, but this incongruence itself is not a mental health condition, just as being transgender is not a mental health condition.
Gender Identity
Many—though not all—trans people experience dysphoria.
Non-binary, agender, and other gender non-conforming individuals might also experience dysphoria, as may some intersex people. Anxiety, depression, stress, and feelings of isolation may develop in those who experience dysphoria.
Understanding Gender Dysphoria
Gender dysphoria appears in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a revision of gender identity disorder.
This revision was made in support of trans individuals seeking treatment or care options such as counseling, hormone treatments, gender confirmation surgery, and/or a legal name and gender change. Many of these options for transition can only be accessed by those who have a diagnosis.
Some people feel including any diagnosis related to gender identity in the DSM falsely perpetuates a belief that the diagnosis indicates a mental health condition, but the American Psychiatric Association made the choice to maintain the entry to allow individuals continued access to care. The term “dysphoria” is believed to more accurately represent challenges faced in relation to a gender identity inconsistent with that assigned at birth, and thus, may help reduce stigma and barriers to treatment for trans people.
The experience of dysphoria differs by individual, and distress is not necessarily part of the experience of all trans individuals.
For many, feelings of dysphoria can be distressing or uncomfortable, but not all individuals who experience dysphoria will be negatively impacted. Gender dysphoria itself does not indicate or cause mental health concerns, just as being transgender does not. However, people who have dysphoria may develop depression, anxiety, or face other challenges to mental and emotional well-being, often as a result of societal judgment, stigma, transphobia, and/or harmful stereotypes.
Sometimes those who experience gender dysphoria or gender identity may also experience beliefs such as “I am unlovable.” EMDR can help with those beliefs and can help you come back to the belief that “I am good enough” and “I am worthy of love and belonging.”
