Distinguished Canadian Psych: No Scientific Basis for TG

[Carolyn Marie]

http://www.cnsnews.com/blog/michael-w-chapman/american-psychiatric-association-distinguished-fellow-transgender-emotional

We've heard all this before. *shakes head*

Carolyn Marie

[Guest]

what I hate about those arguments is the lack of concerns for us, no way to alleviate dysphoria. I lived with dysphoria for 21 years at least and for all those years I was wishing to be a man, but was a girl. I don't care if they say there's no scientific basis ... but we still have to find a way to do something about dysphoria. You can't just say : "commit suicide! we want to give surgery to everybody for every stupid reasons but not to transgender people to alleviate dysphoria"

[Guest]

<Facepalm, facepalm, facepalm>

Welcome to the Great White North.

Huggs,

Joann

[Cyndee]

When I read this person's logic and others that think as he does, they tend to simplify the human experience to suit a position (willful ignorance). They tend to focus on reproductive functions as a basis in which to promote or conduct a "lifestyle" They tend to classify people much like science classifies animals. What they seem to conveniently overlook is a human life is far more complex than our reproductive functions, and how much we don't know about the human brain and it's development. Those people tend to have a vested interest in a "social order".

Last I noticed the web site this article was posted on had advertisements for "conservative" causes, so no surprise.

I also noticed Cara was firing away at them in the comments below, go girl !!

[Carolyn Marie]

Yup, being a woman or a man is all about what's between your legs. A shame someone with that kind of education and experience can reduce the world to such simplistic ideas.

Carolyn Marie

[JJ]

This was apparently said in 2013 though the article is current. Maybe he had not read the new DSM from the year before yet. Or maybe he is old enough to believe he knows it all. He looks as old as dirt and may well have closed his mind to anything new. Whatever the cause he is wrong and behind the times.

In my career I sometimes had to work with psychiatrists and represented DHS on a board with one for a couple of years. He tried to dominate the board with an arrogance and closed minded approach I found common to all but two of the psych's I came across in casework. Those two also appeared sane which was not the case with the others. I have not personally had any negative experiences with one -the Dr on the board treated us all, including the man who had a doctorate in psychology, the same. Like inferiors. Maybe my view is jaundiced. And I have heard of good psychiatrists. I have also heard of more than a few who were like this one. And I always found a psychologist far more effective when I referred a client.

Johnny

[Charlize]

This person's (doctor, yes scientist?) logic reminds me of the global warming "scientists". For me however the issue here isn't whether there is some scientific rationale for who i am but what is done about it. My issues are certainly in part physiological. I have a mind that has been shaped by a society that has spent most of my life pushing me towards one gender. I've slipped out and much of that society wants to push me back. I don't care if being myself is physical or completely in my mind. It is real and i've had enough pain learning to deal with that reality without having a quack put his spin on this gal.

Sorry i get peed by this kind of 'science".

Hugs,

Charlize

[Guest Faith gibson]

If all I am is an unhappy person, you would think I could find someway of helping myself besides hiding in my home day after day trying to avoid those terribly narrow minded people that were commenting at the bottom of this article. I guess hiding and being alone is so pleasurable I need to find a good excuse to do it.

I know there will always be person that will say there is no way you can be a woman, or a man, because that is just not possible, but what is really disturbing me is the hate that is included by the people agreeing with this doctor. Why is there such hate? I don't really hate them for being born without fully functional brains.

[StephanieVikingGirl]

Hi all,

Well that esteemed Doctor is kinda out of touch with modern science. Modern science is studying the brain differences in humans, and how it determines gender identity, and a lot of other things as well. Fascinating stuff that the good Doctor is missing out on. I am a woman because my brain is feminine in structure, and function. Kinda simple, we who are transsexual have normal brains more or less, but our bodies are not of the same gender as our brains. I love modern medical science. Sorry no references, I am semi-retired, and lazy.

For those like this Doctor who have their heads in the sand, I ask a question, what about folks born physically, and/or chromosomally intersexed? I am transsexual, just like everyone else transitioning. However, I have discovered recently that I was also born intersexed physically. In my mind it makes no difference, except that idiots like that Doctor can't just explain away clear intersex medical conditions so easily. He also mentions chromosomes, uh like I just read about an intersex woman with CAIS (complete androgen insensitivity syndrome) bearing a pair of non identical twins, so here we have an instance of a woman with 46 XY chromosome karyotype becoming a mother. Pablo, my Doctor, thinks that I am 47 XXY since I have almost all of the associated traits. I have been having lots of problems lately with my name change affecting everything involving cards. However, if my Medi-Cal card is accepted tomorrow, then I will be seeing folks at U.C. Davis Genomic Medicine Clinic to have my karyotype checked for chromosomal anomalies by Pablo's orders.

In any case, I think that old esteemed Doctor is out to lunch, and we shouldn't worry too much what he says. We should worry about how much conservatives will use his statements for their anti-intellectual political agenda though. Wow, sorry about the rant.

Faith, you are as much a woman as I am, and for the same reason: we have feminine brains just like our cis-gender sisters. I just felt like saying that to you my friend.

hugs,

Stephanie

[Guest Kenna Dixon]

Last I noticed the web site this article was posted on had advertisements for "conservative" causes, so no surprise.

The parent company of CNSNews is Media Research Center. From their web site:

"MRC’s sole mission is to expose and neutralize the propaganda arm of the Left: the national news media."

[Guest]

Oh wow! What a breakthrough!

So, what He's saying is that we should be treating our HEAD and NOT our BODY?!!

Gee, Why didnt anyone think of that before?

Surely that will work!

Doc: "You were born a male. You must live as a Male."

Patient: "Yea, i tried that route All my life. Its not working out for me."

Doc: "its because you are unhappy about something"

Patient: "I have had a great male life and didnt feel like it was anything different than every other guy I know. ...... Oh, wait, i did get into a fight at school in the 6th grade."

Doc: "That's what it was! A traumatic experience that made you want to be female to avoid that situation again!"

Patient: "But,.... I felt I should have been a girl many years before that."

Doc: "well it was probably something that happened to you when you were a baby and you dont consciously remember it! "

Patient: "ok so lets say you are right, Now what do we do to fix me?"

Doc: "Well, First You live your life as a Guy and we will talk about why you are having trouble doing it."

Patient: The reason I have trouble living as a guy is because I feel like I am female! Why cant I just live my life as a female and be done with this torture of trying to be someone I am not happy being!"

Doc: "Ah Ha! See? I knew you were unhappy!!" "That's why you want to be female"

Patient: " oh, i get it now! If I was Happy being a guy i wouldnt have this overwhelming need to be female! " Yes! Thats a good idea. I'll try that.

....again......and again.

[Guest CLAIRE100]

just one so called experts opinion---I know how I feel, and have felt since childhood, it is not my imagination.

[MaryEllen]

Defination of an expert= X is an unknown quantity. A spurt is a drip under pressure. These so called experts are stating their own personal opinion. Most times these opinions do not reflect the actuality of any given situation.

MaryEllen

[VickySGV]

ME stole my line!!

[jeanniesauve']

I had no idea this kind of thing was still an issue....I've been away far to long!Wouldn't it be nice if we could touch them on the shoulder and pass our gift onto them,at the darkest stage of disphoria,for 24hrs..then tell them they are just unhappy!I know there was time when I would love for such a solution,just to stop the disphoria.But,since such is not the case...no matter what, ANYONE,says,I let go.If I don't fight my dominant state of mind,my disphoria begins to ease.The hardest part is,when we get these moments of crystal clear clarity,the,TIME, it takes to transition,can really be depressing.I pretend that the world loves us,and supports us....and the only thing I have to concentrate on,is the icing on the cake I'm baking!And baby....that"sAngelfoodcake....TEEHEE!Too many a....... and attitudes!Frik'um

[Guest Edu]

I stopped reading as soon as I saw "transgendered" (well, actually I ended up reading the whole thing to see if there was something remotely interesting). One thing is someone getting some term wrong from time to time, but messing up with the name of the topic one claims expertise on is outright pathetic. I'm not going to cover all the fallacies, misconceptions, an blatant lies this man put forth, here is a summary: it's just a series of fallacious arguments built on top of fake and made up premises, spiced up with some stuff taken entirely out of context.

This made me angry, but hugs anyway!

Edu

[Guest Faith gibson]

Thanks Stephanie. I kind of know who I am, you're sweet though. I am just always taken back by the amount of hate people can generate when something doesn't fit their perception of how the world should be.

I did, coincidentally, just recently came upon this video. Some of you might have already seen it.

://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3C4ZJ7HyuE

Faith

[Guest amanda_s]

this is another hasbin doctor who no one listens to anymore except the lunatics' in the religious right. he like Zucker are finished and don't like it