#+*HORMONES with gendered traits is faulty?

[androgynousblackbox]

IDK I'm really tired rn. But I've ran in body building circles and I've seen people do really horrible things to their bodies for a "look". There's a kind of dysphoria very common in these circles, especially amongst men, that pushes them to take drugs and go for surgeries that end up doing more harm then good. So I just think any surgery of that nature should have a grace period of a few months of therapy so people kind really pin point what they want out of it. Sorry if it's confusing.

By the way in body building circles it's called "bigorexia". Which is a punny name for a real problem in the fitness community that sees people tearing up their bodies so they can get bigger and more lean. And I've seen similar issues with some trans communities. I guess I'm a bit defensive. I don't want people to think they have to take medicine or go through surgery to be respected for who they are. And I want people to have realistic expectations for these treatments before they do them. The thing you are talking about is part of body dysmorphia, which is a different disorder than gender dysphoria and thus gets treated differently, having different results.  Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), occasionally still called dysmorphophobia, is a mental disorder characterized by the obsessive idea that some aspect of one's own body part or appearance is severely flawed and therefore warrants exceptional measures to hide or fix one's dysmorphic part on one's figure.[1] In BDD's delusional variant, the flaw is imagined.[2] If the flaw is actual, its importance is severely exaggerated.[2] Either way, thoughts about the dysmorphia are pervasive and intrusive, and may occupy several hours a day. The DSM-5 categorizes BDD in the obsessive–compulsive spectrum, and distinguishes it from anorexia nervosa. Treatment Anti-depressant medication, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are considered effective.[5][26] SSRIs can help relieve obsessive-compulsive and delusional traits, while cognitive-behavioral therapy can help patients recognize faulty thought patterns. Before treatment, it can help to provide psychoeducation, as with self-help books and support websites. Gender dysphoria (GD) is the distress a person feels due to a mismatch between their gender identity and their sex assigned at birth. People who experience gender dysphoria are typically transgender. The diagnostic label gender identity disorder (GID) was used by the DSM until it was renamed gender dysphoria in 2013 with the release of the DSM-5. The diagnosis was renamed to remove the stigma associated with the term disorder Management Treatment for a person diagnosed with GID may include psychotherapy or to support the individual's preferred gender through hormone therapy, gender expression and role, or surgery. This may include psychological counselling, resulting in lifestyle changes, or physical changes, resulting from medical interventions such as hormonal treatment, genital surgery, electrolysis or laser hair removal, chest/breast surgery, or other reconstructive surgeries. The goal of treatment may simply be to reduce problems resulting from the person's transgender status, for example, counseling the patient in order to reduce guilt associated with cross-dressing, or counseling a spouse to help them adjust to the patient's situation. Guidelines have been established to aid clinicians. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) Standards of Care are used by some clinicians as treatment guidelines. Others use guidelines outlined in Gianna Israel and Donald Tarver's Transgender Care. Guidelines for treatment generally follow a "harm reduction" model. The thing with transgender people is a lot of times they have thought a lot about their transition and what they need, what they want out of it, why they search it. Like, a lot. I cannot even beging to tell how much this is a topic on trans circles. So rest assured, when someone decides they are ready to transition or start to really look into it, it’s because they put a lot of thought into it and probably have an idea of what to expect. If they don’t know a specific thing, then the clinics should inform them of those changes. On that grace period you mention that might be too late for someone that have already been waiting for a chance for years, even decades. A couple more of months that will be ultimately needless, as they already know what they wanted in the first place, could be the difference between someone that is still there or not. Deny treatment to a person that is suffering gender dysphoria can be deadly and that has been exactly the case for a long time. This is why many people know argue for less restrictions, less waiting, less requirements, and concentrate on what the individual wants for themselves. Trans people know what they are doing. And if someone regrets something? That could happen too with not doing anything. Regret is part of life. Live with the consequences of your actions, good or bad, is too. We shouldn’t demonize that. Especially with how gender transitioning as it is has a very high rate of success on keeping people alive, so it depends really with what chances do you want to play. Either you risk maybe one person not being 100% happy and satisfied with what they did, or you risk many more harming themselves worse because they couldn’t do it. There is no scenario where you will always have a 100% rate of success (no treatment ever for anything has such thing), but you can at least reduce harm with people having the option openly and without having to pay ginormous amounts of money for it.

[korrasera]

Well, that's not quite true or accurate either. And I get the feeling you might not have read my entire comment.

Brain sex isn't a thing. It's a term that describes an old pseudo-scientific concept that men and women have gross differences in brain anatomy, like the idea that women are better nurturers and men are more aggressive because of the difference in size between different parts of the brain. While there is some variation, most of it is due to the size of the individual and there's basically no support for the idea that brain sex is a thing.

We don't yet know how gender is encoded in the brain, but in terms of a biological trait the current neuroscience on the matter suggests that it's the result of hormone exposures during fetal development that make certain micro-structural changes to the brain during what's termed a 'critical period' in which the brain will reconfigure itself based on hormonal inputs. Since this process occurs separately from the hormone exposures that dictate the final shape of our bodies, it probably means that trans people are the result of these two periods of exposure, which are separated by about four weeks of fetal development, not agreeing with each other.

As to your next point, yes, children can absolutely make the decision to transition. There are a few reasons why:

For young children, transitioning doesn't require any medical intervention what so ever. You just let the kid wear what they want to wear, respect the pronouns they want to use, and treat them as their actual gender instead of their assigned gender.

For children approaching puberty, forcing a trans child to go through the wrong puberty is incredibly traumatic and a significant source of gender dysphoria. Allowing a child to go on puberty blockers, which are in fact completely and totally safe and are used regularly to treat precocious puberty in cisgender children, gives them time to evaluate their options and then choose to go on hormones that best suit their actual gender. No, they don’t interfere with transitioning either, that’s just another myth. And again, this is a choice the child should be making, not the parents.

Allowing transgender children to transition and supporting them in doing so dramatically improves their mental health and opportunity for long term happiness.

Now onto the part that I don't think you read. The reason I described the three tents is because that standard is what separates children that are trans from children that are gender non-conforming. None of the examples you brought up have anything to do with a child being consistent, insistent, or persistent about gender. A young boy that walks around in high heels isn't insisting that he's a girl. A girl that wants to wear jeans isn't persistent about being a boy.

Many cisgender children do go through a period of gender non-conformity from the ages of 3-6, because they're learning about both their own identity and how society interprets it. They're too young to have internalized lessons about boys being rough and tumble or girls being all sweet and demure, so they'll put on makeup or rough house or play with trucks or wear high heels. But cisgender children don't insist that they aren't the gender they were assigned at birth and their phase of gender non-conformity is just that, a phase. Transgender children behave different.

So, again, I understand why you think the things you think, but you are wrong because you don't have enough knowledge about this topic.

It’s not enough to simply want to support trans people, you also need to take care to not support faulty arguments that do us harm.

A middle school in Achille, Oklahoma is closed following violent threats by parents on social media against Maddie, a 12-year-old transgender student who identifies as female and used the girls’ bathroom.

Maddie had been using the staff bathroom at her old school but used the girls’ bathroom at the new school because she wasn’t sure where the staff bathroom was. She was then accused of peeping under a bathroom stall. Her mother said it was probably because she “leans very far forward to use the bathroom.”

Then the threats began on a private parents’ Facebook group for the school. The parents called Maddie “it” and “thing”, suggested that her genitalia be mutilated to make her female (“a good sharp knife will do the job real quick”). One said it was “hunting season on them kind” and said there was “no bag limit.”

Maddie’s mother Brandy Rose said she fears for her life: “These are adults making threats– I don’t understand it. She’s an awesome kid. To see any fear in her, I can’t explain how bad that hurts me for them to hurt her.”

KXII reports: “The sheriff said the mother filed a protective order against one parent but no other arrests have been made, however several agencies including the FBI are stepping in to see if any comments constitute a hate crime.”

See the screenshots:

Sorry to say this but if we have to think about whether or not threatening to cut a 12 year old child is a hate crime means there is no hope for us. What has this nation become when it’s citizens feel they have a right to threaten minorities with no fear of repercussion. The only ringing heard now is the death knell of freedom..

Savages…

[maciaslucymua-blog1]

Is Estrogen Ruining Your Relationship? Find Out

New Post has been published on http://healthgoesfemale.com/is-estrogen-ruining-your-relationship-find-out/

Is Estrogen Ruining Your Relationship? Find Out

During your formative school years, you must’ve surely come across the fact that estrogen is widely regarded as the “female hormone” and testosterone is regarded as the “male hormone.” While this gender association may suggest otherwise, the truth is both these hormones are found in men and women. To put things into perspective, men have more testosterone while women have more estrogen.

In women, estrogen mainly aids the initiation of sexual development and regulates the menstrual cycle. Estrogen is also blamed for spotty and irregular periods, mood swings, hot flashes, and other such issues. The hormones that are produced in your body play a vital role in the way your body works every single day. When these hormone levels are perfectly balanced, your body will work as it should. The problem arises when these hormone levels are unbalanced.

High estrogen levels or estrogen dominance is possible if there are abnormally high levels of estrogen in your system. Usually, there’s a natural cause for such an increase. However, you can never rule out the possibility of negative effects of a medication.

Symptoms Of Estrogen Common In Men And Women

For starters, the levels of testosterone and estrogen are maintained in the right balance in any man. As estrogen levels increase in men, the testosterone levels begin to drop. This hormonal imbalance can lead to a situation where the symptoms of high estrogen occur along with the symptoms of low testosterone. For this very reason, it can be quite difficult to differentiate between the symptoms of high estrogen and low testosterone.

Here are some of the common symptoms that can be associated with abnormally high estrogen levels in men and women.

Bloating

Hair loss

Headaches

Weight gain

Mood swings

Trouble sleeping

Cold hands or feet

Decreased sex drive

Difficulty remembering

Irregular menstrual periods

Feeling tired or lacking energy

Swelling and tenderness in the breasts

Fibrocystic developments in the breast

Increased symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

Symptoms Of Estrogen Specific To Men

The most prominent symptoms of high estrogen in men are fertility issues, gynecomastia, and erectile dysfunction. To begin with, estrogen is partly responsible for the creation of healthy sperms. When estrogen levels are high in your body, the number of sperms in your semen may drop considerably. This way, you can have fertility issues.

Estrogen can also stimulate breast tissue growth. If you’re a guy and you have high estrogen levels, you may start developing larger breasts. A good balance of testosterone and estrogen is vital for healthy sexual growth and development. When these very hormones get imbalanced, you may have issues with your sexual function. Men with high estrogen levels may find it extremely difficult to maintain or even have an erection.

Having said this, there are other symptoms of high estrogen levels in men you should watch out for:

Tiredness

Low libido

Type-2 diabetes

Enlarged breasts

Sexual dysfunction

Loss of muscle mass

Increased abdominal fat

Decreased erectile function

Decreased morning erections

Lower urinary tract symptoms

Emotional disturbances, like depression

Causes Of High Estrogen Levels In Men

Here’s a surprising fact to start things off – the average 60-year-old man has more circulating estrogen in his blood than the average woman of the same age! A number of factors can possibly contribute to a hormonal imbalance due to increased estrogen levels. Here are the main ones:

1. Increased Fat Content

As you grow old, you lose lean muscle tissue while seeing an increase in fat tissue content. This can also happen because of metabolic disorders like obesity and type-2 diabetes. Fat tissue contains aromatase that converts testosterone to estrogen. It also acts as an estradiol reservoir. Both these factors lead to increased estrogen levels in men.

2. Aging

When you grow old, the amount of aromatase in your body is also high. This enzyme aids the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. This is why older men usually have higher estrogen levels than postmenopausal women.

3. Faulty Feedback In Your Mind

When a man has high estrogen levels in his system, a vicious cycle can develop in his mind whereby his testes get tricked into producing less testosterone. This is because of high estrogen levels that are already present in the body. As a result of this faulty feedback system, men can end up with even higher levels of estrogen, leading to severe estrogen dominance.

4. Testosterone Therapy

If you’ve been treated with an injectable form of testosterone, there’s a very good chance that your system ends up producing more estrogen than usual. Even bioidentical or natural testosterone therapy can lead to high estrogen levels in men, especially when it’s used in excess or in obese men.

5. Meat And Dairy Products

Estrogen hormones, like estradiol, are usually found in foods like meat and dairy products. Therefore, consuming a lot of meat or dairy products can also throw off your hormonal balance entirely.

If you are a man and feel that your male traits are diminishing, hormonal imbalance might be the reason. This is a good time to consult your doctor.

Disclaimer: The content is purely informative and educational in nature and should not be construed as medical advice. Please use the content only in consultation with an appropriate certified medical or healthcare professional.

[piecones]

Dean

Beginnings

What role does this character play?(Storybased): Protagonist-Minor What inspired you to create this character?: Sand and the desert What does this character represent to you, if anything?: The freedom to choose What goals do you have for this character?: I want him to find himself Full Name: Deene Ghalib Billah Ahmadi Pronunciation of their name: Deen ha-LEEB bil-LUH uh-MUH-dee Meaning of their full name: Deene-Way of life, Ghalib Billah-Success with help from Allah, Ahmadi-Praiseworthy Why did their parents name them this?: They wanted his life to be successful through spirituality Why did you, their creator name them this?: His original name was Dean, but his full name suits him Title(Mr./Mrs./Lord/Lady/Sir/):Mr. Nickname(s): Dean Do they enjoy these/this nickname(s)?: Yes, he prefers it History behind nickname(s): He thought Dean was more Western A character snapshot: Hes got a vague personality, brief but polite. He likes the punk style, and also has a feminine side to his dressing, but he keeps it gender neutral. Hes got sharp good looks, dark features, and is not a good listener or talker.

Physical

Sex: Male Gender identity: Male Race/species: Human Ethnicity: Arab Realm/Universe: Real world-esque Share about this realm: Same as real world, with a few minor changes Age: 18 How old they appear: Younger than they are Orientation/Sexual preference: Questioning Any history behind their sexual orientation?: He feels like he likes boys more than girls, but doesn't know for sure Do they believe it's right?: He thinks its fine, he just wishes it were easier to figure out

Birth date: July 7th 1999 Birth place: California, America Height: 5'5" Weight: 105 Are they overweight/underweight?: Underweight If so, why?: Teenaged boy metabolism Blood type: AB Defining physical characteristics/general appearance: Brown with light hair Eye color(s): Pale Hazel Is this eye color uncommon?: Not really, but it looks striking Are their eyes good?: He should have glasses, but theyre not very bad General facial structure: High cheekbones and smaller forehead Face shape: Slanted and pointed, very fine Describe their eyes: Slanted and pointed again, fairly far apart, very sharp eyes when hes focused Describe their nose: Upturned and sharp, with fine nostrils. hes really got a beautiful face Describe their lips: Narrower and smaller than average, prone to getting chapped Ears: smaller and lower than normal Eyelashes?: Full and thick, but not very long Eyebrows?: Thick, but very small and high. close together Hair color(s): Originally pure white, but it becomes black Hair length: Shoulder length-long originally, it gets shaved Dyed?: He begins bleaching his hair eventually If so, why is their hair dyed?: Trying to get the white colour of his hair back, it feels more natural to him Hair style: Long and loose (straight) is preferred, no bangs, middle part Why?: He likes the flow of it, but also it feels private Is their hair healthy?: Yes, and it's very smooth How thick?: It's a little thinner than average, but not very Facial hair?: No Body hair?: Nope

Body build: Toned, loses mass easily Body shape: Rectangle Body type: Mesomorph Posture: Decent Describe how they walk: Usually slow and relaxed Why do they walk this way?: He's got nowhere to be Skin: Smooth and almost flawless Complexion: Light brown, tan Scars: Has some scars on his hands in crescent moon shapes How did they get these scars?: The crafting he does involves a sharp curved tool Tattoos: One medium sized band logo on his back Reasons behind tattoos: He liked the band a year ago (He doesn't care for them now) Right/left handed: Right handed Big hands/small hands/something else?: Small hands Long fingered/short fingered hands?: Med sized thin fingers, very nimble Are their nails taken care of?: He keeps them short, to the finger Describe their smile: Cheery but small, very toothy, and even What kind of teeth do they have?: Decently white Do they take care of their teeth?: Not very well Why/why not?: He finds it a waste of time, and usually forgets too Describe their voice: Soft and Medium pitched, not good at yelling or projecting, calming, but rather scratchy Speech mannerisms: Has a tendency to say uh Describe an outfit they would wear: Cutoff jean shorts, a sleeveless red top with black trim. Maybe chains or black jewellery. Sandals or something light for his feet. Why do they have this clothing preference?: Its edgy, but worn, so its mostly comfy. Mental|Spiritual|Emotional

Mental state: Stable and sturdy Mental disorder/ailment: He suffers from some psychosis Mental stability(relative to disorders): He handles it well, considering How does this ailment effect their day to day life?: He has an episode about once a week, so it rarely does Why do they have this degree of mental stability?: He's very introspective and self analytical Emotional stability: Usually okay Emotional disorder/ailment(s): None Why do they have such/lack emotional stability?: Mostly hormone imbalances, once he's older he'll be stable Has their upbringing had an effect on their emotions?: He keeps a tighter lid on them usually Why or why not?: His older sister was always acting out, so he performed the opposite Describe or share about their mental and emotional state during... early childhood(3 - 5): Very quiet, rarely hungry, well behaved childhood(6 - 9):A slight mean streak, often lost in thought adolescence/tween(10 - 12): Big eater, emotionally unbalancing adolescence/teen(13 - 16): Mentally strengthening, emotions unchecked teen continued(16 - 18): Mentally stable, emotionally confused young adulthood(19 - 25): Mentally faulty, emotionally blossoming "official" adulthood(26 - 29): Mentally healing, Emotionally stabilizing adulthood continued(30 - 40): Mentally and emotionally well half century(41 - 51): Mentally and emotionally solid, helping others up and onward(52+): Helping others Personality snapshot: A pal, a bro, a confused son In depth personality: He has a mean streak, but he helps others when he can. He is naturally introspective, always analyzing inwards first and looking around after. This makes him seem quiet, constantly lost in thought. When his friends are threatened, he can be timid, but has enough bravery to protect. He is very tuned in to his personal needs and puts himself first. Most prominent personality trait: Introspective Best traits of their personality: Intuitive, helpful, analytical Worst traits of their personality: Selfish, arrogant, timid Jung personality test result: ISTJ What caused this kind of personality to form?: His sister. She was loud and outspoken, so he became the opposite, except when, sometimes, his cruel side comes out. Do they like their personality?: He has no reason to dislike it. Do they have a healthy self image: He sees himself fairly accurately, probably more so that anyone he knows. If so, what gives them the drive to maintain it?: He doesn't know another way. First impression usually given: Sweet and quiet, sensitive Are they logical thinkers?: Yes, and he likes finding when the logic suits him. Right brain/left brained?: Left Why?: He is more prone to logical thinking, but isn’t good with numbers Current faith: Islam If they do have one, why?: This was the one he was brought up with Are they strong in it?: Not very Do they actively practice it?: No If they didn't choose it, were they forced into it?: Yes, its the way he was raised, but he himself isn’t very religious Zodiac(Eastern): Rabbit Zodiac(Western): Cancer Do they follow a horoscope/related things?: Not particularly, it isn’t interesting to him, but he humors it What superstitions do they have?: He believes a lot of mirror superstitions, breaking them causes bad luck, Bloody Mary, parallel worlds

If not superstitions, what myths to they tend to cling to as truth?: He believes in the afterlife and ghosts

Reasons why they have these odd beliefs: His psychosis makes him see things in mirrors often, and he sees ghosts at times too.

Outlook on life: Along for the ride

General attitude: Take things head on, see things for as they are

What caused this attitude?: He doesn’t believe in blind optimism and pessimism seems miserable to him, so he goes for the middle

Have they ever questioned their outlook on life?: He does try to change his outlook, but settles back into his old one, deciding its for the best.

Alignment: Neutral Good

Why they chose this path: They don’t find laws or chaos appealing, and he finds evil to be bad. Hes almost a true neutral, but he doesn’t feel right with being inactive.

Do they know the outcome of this choice?: Yes

Do they believe this is right?: Yes, he finds this the best way for him to be

Drugs they take/have taken/or do: He has tried marijuana

What caused them to do drugs?: He wanted the experience. He didn’t love it, but he'd do it again.

TO BE CONTINUED