Facts about Gender Identity Disorder

Gender identity disorder (GID) is defined as a strong feeling of disconnection with one’s physical gender and corresponding identification with the opposite gender. This may mean that a person born a male identifies or feels like a female, and vice versa.

History of Gender Identity Disorder

Gender identity disorder, or some form of it, began to surface in German medical literature in the 1830s. At that time, it was considered a mental illness that had to be cured through institutionalization or electroshock therapy. Although advancements in science have dramatically changed ideas about the causes and treatments for GID, a controversy over the term "disorder" as associated with GID remains.
 
In 1987, gender identity disorder was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Only recently has the idea of GID as a hormonal imbalance or a natural biological occurrence begun to take shape.
 
Debate Over Gender Identity Disorder
For many transsexuals and others, the assessment of this condition as a disorder is an offensive label that they feel does not accurately reflect the condition. GID has been viewed as a mental condition or even a mental illness, and advocates against this type of classification note that it does not give adequate weight to potential physical causes for GID. Protestors also assert that some people are simply born different from others and do not have a disorder or abnormality that has to be "fixed."

Manifestations of Gender Identity Disorder

Manifestations of GID can range from mild to extreme. Often, those with gender identity issues feel intense discomfort with their given gender. They may dress and act like a member of the opposite sex to try to assimilate with the gender they feel is a better reflection of their inner self. They may also display a disgust or dislike of their sexual organs.
 
Although many theories have been formulated to explain the causes of gender identity disorder, no specific causes have been established through research. Genetic abnormalities and hormonal irregularities while in utero or in early life have been advanced as possible causes.

Gender Identity Disorder in Children

Most people who have GID note that the feelings of disassociation with their birth gender began at an early age. Children with GID may prefer to associate with members of the opposite sex, dress or act like a member of the opposite sex or have a pervasive belief that they will grow up to be a member of the opposite sex.
 
Growing up with GID can cause serious internal conflicts as well as spark problems with peers and family members. The result can be very isolating, and depression and anxiety run high among children and adolescents with GID.
 
Gender Identity and Sexual Preference
Many people mistake gender identity with sexual preference. Who a person feels that he or she is in terms of gender has nothing to do with the gender that person is attracted to. In fact, homosexuals almost always identify with their own “birth” gender and rarely exhibit GID.

Treatment for Gender Identity Disorder

Gender identity disorder treatments range from psychological therapy to help a person cope with conflicting emotions, to complete gender reassignment, or sex change. Often, counseling for the whole family is advisable when a child has GID, helping all members cope and communicate more effectively. Therapy also deals directly with other effects of the disorder, such as social isolation or depression.
 
Group and individual counseling is an effective treatment for adults with GID, who may be seeking to live more comfortably with their given gender, live as a transsexual or make the transition into gender reassignment. Being able to communicate with a professional helps those with GID reconcile their own feelings as well as those of their loved ones and society at large.
 
Other treatments include helping a person with GID with the transition to the opposite sex. This can include hormone therapy to induce physical characteristics of the opposite sex, as well as eventual sex reassignment. A sex change is actually a complicated series of events and procedures that is undertaken only after the individual has undergone significant physical and emotional evaluation, and spent a required amount of time living as a member of the opposite sex.
 
Resources
 
eTransgender. (2007). The history of gender identity disorder and treatment. Retrieved April 29, 2008, from the eTransgender.com Web site: http://etransgender.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=319.
 
Psychology Today. (2008). Gender identity disorder. Retrieved April 27, 2008, from the PsychologyToday Web site: http://psychologytoday.com/conditions/genderid.html.
 
Web MD. (2008). Mental health: Gender identity disorder. Retrieved April 27, 2008, from the WebMD Web site: http://www.webmd.com/sex/gender-identity-disorder.