Studies on transition regret

[Guest ThePhoenix]

So I received a letter today from a psychologist who, among other things, is telling me of her awareness of transition regret and that most people who experience transition regret are (1) mtf spectrum and (2) children of domineering fathers.

This sounds suspiciously like the old saw about claiming children become trans* due to their parents messing them up somehow. And it sounds more like something the Family Research Council would put out than any sort of science. In fact, the serious literature on transition regret is pretty sparse, as far as I know. But, before I respond, I thought I would ask:

(1) Does anyone know of any study that would support the conclusion that MTF-spectrum children of domineering fathers are more likely than other trans* folks to experience transition regret? and

(2) Does anyone know of any studies of any kind that examine which populations are most likely to experience transition regret?

I'm already aware of ample studies showing that regret is rare.

[Guest Leah1026]

I am unaware of any studies specifically on regret. This is probably because they are so few people who experience it. In my experience the few cases I have heard about were one of the following:

1. People who weren't actually transsexual at all. Usually these people lied their way through the system and then tried to blame others afterward.

2. People who had unrealistic expectations. These folks deluded themselves into believing transition would make their lives perfect. Transition doesn't make anyone's life perfect, it only fixes ONE thing. You still have all the regular life issues just like everyone else.

[Charlize]

I have not read or seen any studies but there is much more research being done and i am not an expert. I would ask her for her sources so you can read the research for yourself. It might be an interesting response and if there are studies she can quote please post them here. That feeling of regret has been discussed here before. It is also possible that hers is more a feeling than a study. I'm certainly curious. So far i do have some concerns but they pass as i remember how much better life is as myself. I hate the idea of going back. My life is wonderful now but as Leah mentions transition does not solve all problems.

Hugs,

Charlize

[VickySGV]

I am not sure I would even bother responding to anyone with those claims. If my father were still alive he would be making noise about my transition that I would regret, but it would be his noise and not my transition that was the culprit.

[Drea]

I would ask you what your concerns with the statements are? Is this a person you plan on seeing? Is this something the person is just repeating or are they speaking of their own experience?

Specifically on regret, I don't recall specifically researching why regrets and their causes. There been ones overall satisfaction which have also attempted to measure regret.

I've seen numbers floated for regret suggesting as high as 30% to as low as virtually never. I find both extremes hard to believe.

Many follow-up studies lose track of a large percentage post transition. Arguments could be made either way that they disappear cause they just want to get on with life, or they disappeared because they are unhappy. Thus such leaves a big uncertainty factor in any results.

There is one study, somewhat dated now from Norway or Sweden that was able to follow with most who had transitioned within their medical system that showed very high satisfaction rates post transition however, that study goes back quite a few years now and the participants were in a regulated program. The demographics of transitioners these days is somewhat different than in the past and many, particularly in the US, are taking the do it yourself route meaning that they are not really getting any therapy, just minimal therapist contact (like every 2 or 3 months) so in a "supervision" relationship to get the referrals for hormones and surgery.

I agree with the two items Leah states as to common reasons for regret. With regards to this one:

1. People who weren't actually transsexual at all. Usually these people lied their way through the system and then tried to blame others afterward.

I would add that such typically were absolutely certain they were transsexual at the time. People like to think it is those with doubts that end up regretting and while that may be, as my therapist would say, she never worries about the ones with doubts because if they express it they are considering it. It is those who are absolutely certain she worries about because they don't question and sometimes that unwillingness to look could be their way of burying doubts.

As to the psychologists assertion that most regrets are among MTF, I've seen that stated someplace, but I don't recall where or how credible the source seemed to me. I can believe this claim however and it does make a certain sense in my experience. There are CD that convince themselves they are transsexual (and in the process they tell others just like them they are really transsexual too). So these folks would fit right in the "not really transsexual at all" as Leah says. Since CDing is much more prevalent in males, this kind of mistake is one source for MTF regrets that doesn't exist with FTM.

As far as the domineering fathers? I dunno. We are all products of our genetics and environments. Among trans there is certainly no shortage of those with abusive parents. Maybe domineering fathers is a somewhat natural occurrence with MTF cause their "son" isn't living up to their expectations. And if that is more common among MTF in general it ends up more common in those regretting?

I go back to my original question. What is your concerns? Are you concerned with you? Or you just seeking to dispute the claim?

[Carolyn Marie]

Phoenix, I have no issues with anything anyone said above. I am curious, however, about the nature of this letter you received. Was it from a psychologist that you're seeing, or one you contacted about therapy? It does seem an odd thing to get from ones own therapist. To me, the circumstances surrounding the letter are almost of more interest than the statements made in it.

Carolyn Marie

[Guest ThePhoenix]

Phoenix, I have no issues with anything anyone said above. I am curious, however, about the nature of this letter you received. Was it from a psychologist that you're seeing, or one you contacted about therapy? It does seem an odd thing to get from ones own therapist. To me, the circumstances surrounding the letter are almost of more interest than the statements made in it.

Carolyn Marie

By way of response to both you and Drea, I refer you to my "about me" info that appears on the left of this post. I try to keep a low profile, but when you are doing the type of trans* community work that I do, low profiles really don't work very well, so I've ended up being one of the more high profile trans* activists in this part of the country. I get people contacting me all the time wanting to talk about trans* politics, cultural competency, and a zillion other things. Therapists seem to be one of the groups I hear from the most. Most people I hear from are friendly. Some are not. I try to answer them all as long as it seems productive, and sometimes when I'm uncertain of something, posting a message like this is a good way of asking around to two the knowledge of others.

This particular individual is an already licensed psychologist who wants to start practicing gender therapy. She says she's been going to trainings and doing research. I think she's trying to impress me with her knowledge. This is what she came up with. *sigh*

Drea, you mentioned a study finding greater dissatisfaction in mtf than ftm populations. Would that be this one?

Pfafflin F., Junge A. (1992) Sex Reassignment: 30 Years of International Follow-up Studies after SRS: A Comprehensive Review, 1961-1991.

It finds a 70% mtf satisfaction rate and 90% for ftm persons after SRS. If so, I have some questions about that study as well. And it is pretty darn dated.

[Drea]

Phoenix,

I appreciate your wanting to make sure you have your facts strait before giving out information.

Being around as long as I have I see, as is try in any community, political party, faith, a desire to determine accuracy based upon what one wants to believe.

And I get that especially when it comes to this transition stuff as people in transition do have a large emotional investment in what they are doing, grasping onto any justifications or anything that helps "legitimize" what they are doing and probably some undercurrent of fear that maybe they are wrong.

So it can be hard to sort out what is good or not especially when there ends up claims hurled about this or that person being discredited when that is little more than an assertion backed up by no more fact than the other side claims to have discredited studies that the community holds up as definitive proof.

Drea, you mentioned a study finding greater dissatisfaction in mtf than ftm populations. Would that be this one?

Pfafflin F., Junge A. (1992) Sex Reassignment: 30 Years of International Follow-up Studies after SRS: A Comprehensive Review, 1961-1991.

It finds a 70% mtf satisfaction rate and 90% for ftm persons after SRS. If so, I have some questions about that study as well. And it is pretty darn dated.

Actually I think you crossed two things I mentioned. In one case it was that I seen studies with different satisfaction rates, with the low being 70% to virtually 100% satisfaction.

The other was I seen it mentioned someplace that MTF had higher regret rate, but it wasn't necessary connected with that 70% and mostly was just saying I could see some logic as to why regret would be higher among MTF.

It is entirely possible the assertion I had read had come from that study originally but I am pretty sure I hadn't read that study itself. I recall the one piece I had read recently was some specially chartered review. No new research but a review of existing research and the conclusion of that research was saying transition wasn't effective treatment. Oddly enough the details listed seem to say different, but my general feeling was that the "specially chartered" review was undertaken with a specific result in mind. I can't say for sure there was bias, it just felt that way. While I am of the opinion there is more regret out there than most people in the community are willing to acknowledge, I prefer hard data.

If you poked around, I am sure you have seen the info out there is like a hall of mirrors. I've seen so called "new research" that was just a new article making conclusions about old research. I've seen opinion pieces pawned off as "research" or hard evidence of some assertion. There is just a huge body of stuff that gets echoed and re-echoed and in cases the source is long forgotten.

Good luck and while I have had a somewhat critical view of what many advocates push for generally putting me at odds with the typical advocate, I appreciate the fact that you are trying to provide the best facts you can. And of course, I haven't given any really hard facts, mostly just opinion and observations but I am pretty sure you recognize that.

[Guest otter-girl]

Hi

Just wanted to add that the people I've heard of that regret transition do so not because of within themselves but because of the extrenal pressures of prejudice living in their desired gender. The pressure of living if you don't pass enough or are 'out' can be high which is why you really really really have to want it enough.

Hugs

Rachel.

[Guest ThePhoenix]

Good luck and while I have had a somewhat critical view of what many advocates push for generally putting me at odds with the typical advocate, I appreciate the fact that you are trying to provide the best facts you can. And of course, I haven't given any really hard facts, mostly just opinion and observations but I am pretty sure you recognize that.

Oh we could probably have a real vent-fest about most of the advocates out there. I like to think that I am a different breed because I kind of got dragged into it against my will and have done the best I can, and I do my work mainly inside the community. Compared to many others who seemingly get into it to feed their giant egos and feel themselves to be so much better than the people they supposedly represent.

So I share your frustration with many "advocates."