this post was submitted on 19 Jan 2025
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[–] nebulaone@lemmy.world -5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

Oh man I am going to get burned at the stakes for this comment.

I have ADHD, depression and a tendency for addiction, all diagnosed by a medical professional and not just because I feel like it. I am fine with being called mentally ill.

Is a neurodivergence that usually stops you from reproducing naturally and gender dysphoria a mental illness? Without any disrespect I would say yes and that's fine. In my opinion it even validates hormone treatments and your insurance should pay for it. Do whatever makes you feel good about yourself.

I find it quite disrespectful to others that they have such a problem with that label.

Edit: Just to be clear, this is NOT about hate comments, or trying to justify them in any way.

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 6 points 21 hours ago

I find it quite disrespectful to others that they have such a problem with that label.

As someone with a laundry list of mental illnesses and who is quite firm that mental illness is mental illness, it's not disrespectful for trans folk to want to not get tarred with that brush. Trans folk are hindered by primarily cultural prejudices.

[–] kate@lemmy.uhhoh.com 3 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

you can’t define “trans” as a mental illness even if you wanted to, because there is no single trans experience. some trans people didn’t know from an early age. some trans people dont have gender dysphoria. some trans people don’t want to be the “opposite” gender (this one is me hi). there’s no way to define it other than “the thing trans people have” and that’s not a medical diagnosis.

[–] RandomVideos@programming.dev 1 points 20 hours ago (2 children)

Transgender is a general term

Wouldnt gender dysphoria be at least close to a mental illness, being able to cause significant distress and impairment of personal functioning (i think, i may have misunderstood the meaning of the terms)?

[–] PeachyMcPeachface@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

Mental illness is a social construct. Even medical issues are social constructs. "Wandering uterus" used to be a medical condition in which doctors stimulated women to orgasm to "cure" them.

Every culture is going to frame things differently, but the importance is how that framing is used or held against certain people. The idea that "gender dysphoria" is a mental illness is linked to the idea that conservatives think mental illness is just weakness. They don't believe that depression or anxiety are real, exhausting problems.

[–] kate@lemmy.uhhoh.com 4 points 18 hours ago

Maybe, or it might be defined as a symptom. Not a doctor. but gender dysphoria isn’t limited to trans people (cis women with facial hair, etc, might seek gender affirming healthcare)

[–] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

So you can accept that they feel like they were born in the wrong body, but you can't accept that they don't want to be called mentally ill, on top of all the laws against their existence?

That seems like a weird inconsistency.

[–] nebulaone@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

You didn't even try to understand what I am trying to say. I am on your side on this. If they dont want to be called that, I am not going to do that. I still think it is disrespectful.

[–] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 3 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

but you ~~can't accept~~ think it's disrespectful that they don't want to be called mentally ill, **on top of all the laws against their existence? **

That seems like a weird inconsistency.

[–] nebulaone@lemmy.world -1 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

straw man fallacy (sometimes written as strawman) is the informal fallacy of refuting an argument different from the one actually under discussion, while not recognizing or acknowledging the distinction.[1] One who engages in this fallacy is said to be "attacking a straw man".

Source: Wikipedia

[–] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 5 points 16 hours ago

Ok, you're not getting me. I'll try a different way.

Is appendicitis a mental illness? The pain from it causes suffering and prevents normal thought and dealing with society.

No, of course not. We could classify that as an illness of the body because the brain is fine as soon as the body is fixed.

You're looking at trans people, where the brain and body don't match, and saying it's a brain issue. This is your bias, not for any good reason. It's just as easily classed as a body issue which goes away once the body is fixed. Their brains are just fine.

Our ADHD is forever, and there's no body fixing that would get us to better work within society's structure. That's why that's a mental illness.