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re: Gender dysphoria in the very young Jul. 18th, 2008 6:09pm
People of all ages can become fixated on something they think will make their lives better. I saw a news report a while back about people who were obsessed with losign their legs. For some reason they were convinced that if they lost thier legs their lives would be happier. They fantsized about it and in two cases, attempted to make it happen. One man drove up to a hospital, parked in the parking lot and then emrsed his legs in dry ice up to the thighs. He said it was extremely painful, but after several hours he notified the hospotal, and the rushed out. By then his legs were frozen solid and had to be amputated. But now years later, he's remorseful that he allowed the obsession to ruin his life. Another woman tried to copy what the man did, but gave up before her legs were fully frozen. She still has her legs, but is now confined to a wheel chair.
It's very easy to dismiss the benefits of your own lot in life and see all the benefits of someone else who's different. There are great things about being male and great things about being female. And there are a lot of factors that can send subtle, yet strong messages to a small child about the benefits of either or both. One thing I noticed in all the stories, and correct me if I'm wrong, is the lack of siblings. In the NPR article it sounded like both boys were only children. That could easily create a sort of social vaccum where behavior can atrophe. Anyone who has kids knows how much more like boys, boys act when they are with other boys, and how much more like girls, girls act when around other girls.
I may get some criticism for this, but in modern society, feminism has rendered femininity almost obsolete as we seem to see such pressure for women to behave more like men, and men to behave more like women. When's the last time you heard anyone talk about what femininity and masculinity really mean, other than in negative terms. But that's a part of who we are. A lot of this gender confusion comes from that. Men and women should learn to enjoy those things that make their gender different from the other. There's a reason the French say, "Viva la Difference!"
