A thread on why the word "dysphoria" is a cop-out and a laughable concept that has no solid definition. How it is simply an excuse and often used to pressure people into medically transitioning due to its intimidation.

One of the biggest things I advise to questioners when they ask me, or a general detrans support area is to stop using the word dysphoria.

By stopping use of that word, you are no longer giving it power or control over you. It's a word we use to blame for any feelings of unease

The word "dysphoria" is a crutch, or a coping mechanism while avoiding the actual problem as I stated in the first tweet. It's loaded, an excuse and leads to you dodging the problem in question.. hiding behind this world and using it to describe any unease, giving it more power.

Discomfort with your chest? Dysphoria.
No one treats you with respect? Dysphoria.
You feel ignored or treated like an object? Dysphoria.
Uncomfortable because of differences between you and your peers? Dysphoria.
Hate your period? Feel you should have a penis? Dysphoria.

That word should be removed from your self-referential vocabulary, moment you do so it becomes easier to tear apart what's ACTUALLY causingdistress.

I'll detail my own feelings and prior use of the word, just so you can get an idea of how manipulative and powerful this word is.

Describing your feelings and thinking about how you can tackle them is the key here. In the past I as well struggled with what was called "dysphoria" which I now see for nothing but an excuse.

Since Twitter format is a bit limited, this is going to be a bit rough to bring over

In the past I struggled with what I called "dysphoria" because that incident to this day still haunts me and how I grew up vastly different and even feeling like I was just stuck a kid. I wanted to grow up, but I was different from other girls.

So the word in my case? Trauma.

Trauma's loaded, not much better so let's look into my own case.

I felt like I wasn't a girl because I was different, I had interests that weren't typical of girls my age and didn't care to present myself for boys. Felt as if I couldn't be a girl because I wasn't like a girl.

My body felt wrong to me to the point I started to question what was going wrong. Not changing at all, just stuck a child. Never had a period growing up.

Being intersex was rough, and I didn't even know I was intersex. I was convinced that this was my body telling me something.

Ended up alone and without friends generally because of my being sickly and being child-like. Cruel jokes at my expense.

I was gay, being gay was bad. Why was I a boyish girl who liked other girls? Was I normal or -really a boy?- The thoughts continued to build up and control me

So these feelings in combination led to me starting to dissociate from my own body. Gaining distress toward characteristics of my body and wanting to change them. This led to developing actual distress and wanting to be the other sex.

So in my own case let's break this down

I was different and -lacked confidence- in myself. However my feeling as if I couldn't be a girl because of it is -internal misogyny.-

I wanted to grow up like my peers, but I also had no idea what I was but this also ties into being -intersex- or -medically neglected.-

The third reason was related to being intersex and medically neglected - This one I can honest pin on my parents not knowing what to do and a lack of resources and information. The thing advocates are stopping now.

So of the reasons I listed the last kind of speaks for itself..

Internal homophobia. I thought being bisexual was a way to deny it and although I didn't state that here I desperately tried to force myself to date boys to "be normal" but made myself miserable as a result.

There was more in my case, like the fact I was literally abused..

I didn't want to be weak, that little weak girl irritated me and the power my oppressor had over me was something I wanted for myself.. I never wanted to be weak AGAIN, to be treated and abused like that AGAIN. -- Misogyny, again.

I saw girls as weak, I didn't want to be a girl.

So now instead of "dysphoria", I have words I can work with.

Intersex, lacking confidence, internal misogyny, being medically neglected due to lack of resources and support while also being internally homophobic and just wanting to be like other girls ...

which the moment I realized I wasn't, I started thinking I was a boy.

This led to me discontinuing use of that word dysphoria and looking at the bigger picture, the actual reasons I felt the way I did. Why I wanted to transition without falling on some excuse given to me.

Now I just deal with regret, wishing I wasn't sold a lie when I was younger.. manipulated, taken advantage of and even forced into hating the idea of perceiving myself as female and thinking I could be male.

I deal with anger as I watch others fall into the same trap.

"Sex-based dysphoria" What even does that mean? Hating your biological sex? I listed several reasons that can lead to that and that's just some of my own.

It escalates and when you use that vague term, you give it more and more power to control and influence you.

Anyways, sorry if this isn't as great as the other time I wrote about this. I'm a bit more enraged, not as nice and this format can be a pain to write long thoughts and statements across.

I find this "word" does more harm then good. It's become a crutch, an excuse.