Post by Mea on Dec 28, 2015 4:04:53 GMT
Anonymous asked: When it says that men/women are more likely to have x PD does this take trans people into account? Like since BPD is considered more prevalent in women would a trans woman have the same odds of having BPD as a cis woman? Sorry if this question is strange
Answer: So, this is just my (possibly unpopular) opinion here, but it’s something I brought up with two therapists, and they agreed, so maybe my opinion isn’t so off base:
I don’t think those percentages show the likelihood of a gender having a diagnosis as much as they show the likelihood of someone’s symptoms being recognized, mostly due to their gender. For example, see studies of how ADHD is under-diagnosed in women, and how those symptoms present themselves differently in women due to how women are socialized. Personality disorders are the same way.
Psychiatry in general does not take the trans experience into account, however. Hell, it’s still considered a mental disorder in the DSM, which we all know is complete garbage. So when we’re talking about gender and which ones are more likely to be diagnosed, it’s probably a safe bet to say that any statistics you find are misgendering patients, which is an unfortunate truth about the psychiatric field (although there are plenty of professionals who do respect their patients’ identities).
When it comes to which genders are more likely to develop certain disorders, it’s important to note that it doesn’t come from ~male and female brains are different~ or some mumbo jumbo like that. When we’re talking about gender, it needs to be point out that men and women have different experiences in life and are socialized differently. Trans people (men, women, and non-binary people) also have unique experiences and socialization. (How a trans woman is socialized growing up and as an adult, even before she came out, cannot be compared to the experiences of a cis man or even a cis woman. A woman is a woman is a woman, but a cis woman could never know what it’s like to be trans in a society like ours, so this experience can really affect how a person reacts to things and even make them more vulnerable to certain disorders. Cis women don't experience transmisogyny, so trans women have a unique experience.) It’s also worth pointing out that women are more vulnerable to things like domestic and sexual violence, so this kind of trauma can also make women more vulnerable to developing certain mental illnesses.
So, to answer your question of whether trans women are just as likely as cis women to develop things like BPD? In my honest opinion, I’d say they’re more likely, since trauma can lead to the development of a personality disorder. I’d say trans people, especially trans women, are incredibly vulnerable to things like personality disorders, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Men and women aren’t just born with a specific likelihood of developing a disorder. Mental health is based on two things: genetics and environment. If it runs in your family, if you’re in a negative environment. These things can influence your likelihood of developing a disorder, not your gender. And considering the load of shit trans people have to deal with and how difficult it is for them to simply exist? Yeah, that trauma can get to you.
-Mea
Answer: So, this is just my (possibly unpopular) opinion here, but it’s something I brought up with two therapists, and they agreed, so maybe my opinion isn’t so off base:
I don’t think those percentages show the likelihood of a gender having a diagnosis as much as they show the likelihood of someone’s symptoms being recognized, mostly due to their gender. For example, see studies of how ADHD is under-diagnosed in women, and how those symptoms present themselves differently in women due to how women are socialized. Personality disorders are the same way.
Psychiatry in general does not take the trans experience into account, however. Hell, it’s still considered a mental disorder in the DSM, which we all know is complete garbage. So when we’re talking about gender and which ones are more likely to be diagnosed, it’s probably a safe bet to say that any statistics you find are misgendering patients, which is an unfortunate truth about the psychiatric field (although there are plenty of professionals who do respect their patients’ identities).
When it comes to which genders are more likely to develop certain disorders, it’s important to note that it doesn’t come from ~male and female brains are different~ or some mumbo jumbo like that. When we’re talking about gender, it needs to be point out that men and women have different experiences in life and are socialized differently. Trans people (men, women, and non-binary people) also have unique experiences and socialization. (How a trans woman is socialized growing up and as an adult, even before she came out, cannot be compared to the experiences of a cis man or even a cis woman. A woman is a woman is a woman, but a cis woman could never know what it’s like to be trans in a society like ours, so this experience can really affect how a person reacts to things and even make them more vulnerable to certain disorders. Cis women don't experience transmisogyny, so trans women have a unique experience.) It’s also worth pointing out that women are more vulnerable to things like domestic and sexual violence, so this kind of trauma can also make women more vulnerable to developing certain mental illnesses.
So, to answer your question of whether trans women are just as likely as cis women to develop things like BPD? In my honest opinion, I’d say they’re more likely, since trauma can lead to the development of a personality disorder. I’d say trans people, especially trans women, are incredibly vulnerable to things like personality disorders, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Men and women aren’t just born with a specific likelihood of developing a disorder. Mental health is based on two things: genetics and environment. If it runs in your family, if you’re in a negative environment. These things can influence your likelihood of developing a disorder, not your gender. And considering the load of shit trans people have to deal with and how difficult it is for them to simply exist? Yeah, that trauma can get to you.
-Mea
