Since “I am” will probably always take presence among the young over “I ought to be,” I suspect this madness will never stop. We may have entered a new age with modern communication technologies in which humans will remain fundamentally changed. Hopefully, we can avoid extinguishing ourselves as we learn to grapple with the new macro-narratives that fuel our lives.
Thanks for this, Stephanie (just seeing it now). I’m an older, formerly trans-identified woman. I called suicide hotline for the first time in my life after having realized my “transition” of 13 years was a sham. I was not included in any study, followed up with by anyone, etc. Imagine how many others, like myself, there are out there.
@@sometherapist Stephanie, I'm out of the woods, now, so to speak. I knew intuitively that much of it was hormone-based (post-testosterone), and am finally getting help with that, after forging my own way and seeking help outside our broken health-care system.
I think the suicide risk has been overblown by both critics and trans activists. Numbers aside, there are a number of possible explanations for the relative increases in post surgical suicide rates. So many hypotheses can be considered, and perhaps all play a factor. Is someone who indulges in the most invasive forms of surgery generally at increased risk for self harm? Were those extreme surgeries “hesitation wounds?” What is the rate difference between those who RUSHED to surgery versus those who took a little extra time? The fact is, we really don’t know, even about the actual suicide rates themselves, because our data quality is so low. Perhaps the very first problem we need to solve is the data problem. This will take time. Perhaps the best we can say at this point is that we really don’t know much about the correlation between suicidality and the various transgenderisms. The health issues, on the other hand, are quite real and have been known for a very long time. Word has been among trans people for DECADES that transition will reduce their expected lifespan by about a decade. The perspective with trans people has been that the cost/benefit trade off was worth the potential lost decade. This is not dissimilar to how chronic cigarette smokers see the indulgence in their habit. “I know these things are going to kill me, but…” But. I believe that in the future we will have advanced the state of the art of therapies, perhaps pairing with the use of psychedelics or whatever, to the point where anyone who wishes to avoid transition can be helped psychologically to indeed avoid the need for transition. The question will be, how many patients will opt for these therapies? Especially among the young who are foreclosing on their personal identity formation in favor of cross-sex identities, they may not care. For the young, “I am” may always take precedence over “I ought to be.” We will also need to focus on prevention of the problem. I don’t know what this future will actually look like, but it will come eventually. That day is not today, however. One of the things we need to do is de-weaponized the “conversion therapy” concept, which now means any and all attempt to alleviate gender dysphoria without full and immediate affirmation of the foreclosed cross-sex identity. Videos such as yours are a start, but we need more aggressive action. BTW, good question raised about the hormonal effects on the male brain. We really don’t know, do we? As for whether we should never have signed off on transition therapies at any time in the past, cut a break from past practitioners, especially before the 21st century. Things always look more obvious in retrospect. We know more about this than we ever have before. (Even if that gain is marginal, relatively speaking.) What we do next is what is important.
This so beautiful!!!!
Something so needed and you don’t want to touch! Unbelievable! When will the madness stop
Since “I am” will probably always take presence among the young over “I ought to be,” I suspect this madness will never stop. We may have entered a new age with modern communication technologies in which humans will remain fundamentally changed. Hopefully, we can avoid extinguishing ourselves as we learn to grapple with the new macro-narratives that fuel our lives.
Thanks for this, Stephanie (just seeing it now). I’m an older, formerly trans-identified woman. I called suicide hotline for the first time in my life after having realized my “transition” of 13 years was a sham. I was not included in any study, followed up with by anyone, etc. Imagine how many others, like myself, there are out there.
Wow, I am so sorry. Have you found help?
@@sometherapist Stephanie, I'm out of the woods, now, so to speak. I knew intuitively that much of it was hormone-based (post-testosterone), and am finally getting help with that, after forging my own way and seeking help outside our broken health-care system.
I think the suicide risk has been overblown by both critics and trans activists. Numbers aside, there are a number of possible explanations for the relative increases in post surgical suicide rates. So many hypotheses can be considered, and perhaps all play a factor. Is someone who indulges in the most invasive forms of surgery generally at increased risk for self harm? Were those extreme surgeries “hesitation wounds?” What is the rate difference between those who RUSHED to surgery versus those who took a little extra time? The fact is, we really don’t know, even about the actual suicide rates themselves, because our data quality is so low. Perhaps the very first problem we need to solve is the data problem. This will take time. Perhaps the best we can say at this point is that we really don’t know much about the correlation between suicidality and the various transgenderisms.
The health issues, on the other hand, are quite real and have been known for a very long time. Word has been among trans people for DECADES that transition will reduce their expected lifespan by about a decade. The perspective with trans people has been that the cost/benefit trade off was worth the potential lost decade. This is not dissimilar to how chronic cigarette smokers see the indulgence in their habit.
“I know these things are going to kill me, but…”
But.
I believe that in the future we will have advanced the state of the art of therapies, perhaps pairing with the use of psychedelics or whatever, to the point where anyone who wishes to avoid transition can be helped psychologically to indeed avoid the need for transition. The question will be, how many patients will opt for these therapies? Especially among the young who are foreclosing on their personal identity formation in favor of cross-sex identities, they may not care. For the young, “I am” may always take precedence over “I ought to be.” We will also need to focus on prevention of the problem. I don’t know what this future will actually look like, but it will come eventually. That day is not today, however. One of the things we need to do is de-weaponized the “conversion therapy” concept, which now means any and all attempt to alleviate gender dysphoria without full and immediate affirmation of the foreclosed cross-sex identity. Videos such as yours are a start, but we need more aggressive action.
BTW, good question raised about the hormonal effects on the male brain. We really don’t know, do we?
As for whether we should never have signed off on transition therapies at any time in the past, cut a break from past practitioners, especially before the 21st century. Things always look more obvious in retrospect. We know more about this than we ever have before. (Even if that gain is marginal, relatively speaking.) What we do next is what is important.