Gender Reassignment - Changing Your Sex

Changing your sex, your gender, is a very complex, highly difficult situation. There are some people who have always "felt" like they were born the wrong sex (gender identity disorder)  and report that it has led to frustration, confusion and even depression for a large part of their lives.

However, making the transition to another gender isn't easy either. Transitioning carries with it the prospect of losing jobs, friends and family, as well as mockery from strangers who find the gender change visibly jarring, as some transsexuals will attest to.

In a USA Today story on the subject, the paper quotes Denise Leclair, executive director of the International Foundation for Gender Education, a Waltham, Mass.-based transgender advocacy group.

"You become a very visible minority," Leclair says. "The average male-to-female transsexual is taller, has bigger hands and feet, has more facial hair than most women. There are a lot of physical attributes that are hard to hide in a society that doesn't like you."

That's why American sex-change surgeons, adhering to their own code of conduct, won't operate until the patient has had a year of intense psychotherapy while living publicly in the new gender.   And even during or after the transition, there are some transsexuals who regret changing sex and then  go back to their original gender.

"The Psychological Aspects of Changing Your Sex" Blog

Psychological Process of Changing Sex (Dr. Croft's blog post)

Children with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Did you catch the ABC News special report last week on children with extreme OCD? It was very compelling television as they actually let the cameras into the therapy room where you could witness first-hand how difficult life with OCD can be.

One case that stood out in my mind was a teenage girl who stayed away from her entire family because she thought they were contaminated. The girl was sitting on the couch and as her own mother inched her way from a nearby chair to the very end of the couch, the girl recoiled from fear.

After months of exposure and response-prevention therapy (ERP), she was barely, but successfully able to touch her mother's fingertip.

During the segment, a research doctor explained that the part of the brain that gives the "all clear" signal (that everything is okay) doesn't function properly in these children. He said researchers are trying to come up with medications that will correct that problem. In the meantime, extensive ERP therapy for OCD, is effective in helping these children.

More on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Visit the HealthyPlace OCD Center where you'll find extensive information on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. What is OCD plus symptoms, causes and treatment of OCD. And where to get help for OCD.

Took the bus to the light rail. The lightrail down to tempe town lake walked around there. Went to library. Left early becase i thought someone was following me. My minds going a mile a minute. A million memorys all at once. Was sitting at the bus stop waiting for the bus and kept seeing this person down the side walk rocking back and forth it looked like an old friend of mine. so i got up and talked to him. YEAH so finally relized He was a TREE.. Yep my minds not working like it should the last couple of months. Im sleeping less than 4 hrs a nite. Keep having urges to do stupid things like... steping off of the curb into traffic. Opening the door while the car is moving. Banging my head aginst the wall. Whitch i did and then i felt like doing it again. Yep label me insane and put me in the aslyum.

Automatic Negative Thoughts...

When my therapist tells me my son is ok I understand that he means that he will be ok and that I don't need to worrry.  That he will get his treatment and he will be fine.  Which reassures me.

When my mom tells my my son is ok I think that she thinks that I'm exagerating as far as his condition goes and that I shouldn't worry about it.   Which makes me feel invalidated.

When my therapist tells me to spend time with my son doing things like A B or C I think ok... I can do that... I'm already doing a lot... I can do more. I feel empowered.

When my mom tells me "he needs to be given attention" I think she thinks I don't give him attention therefore I feel like I'm doing a bad job of parenting and I end up feeing bad about myself.

This sucks!!

I've decided to get RID of the shirt. It's official. Now, I just have to officially get rid of it.

 http://afsp.donordrive.com/team/mccnjstarsleague

Dear everyone,

Yesterday I started a blog about my experience with having depression, PTSD, OCD, an eating disorder and being borderline borderline. I type everything on my typewriter and then take pictures of the cards and post them online. I think it's a pretty cool format, so if anyone wants to read it, I'll be posting there more than here.

 The URL is beautifulborderline.blogspot.com. 

       - Kelley