#trans mental health

[agendercryptidlev]

We need to talk more about the transmasculine suicide rate.

There's a common saying that every transgender suicide is a murder, because it is the lack of acceptance in society that leads transgender individuals to commit suicide at such a high rate, this is true of trans men who have the highest suicide rate across all gender identities:

[image ID: a stylized graph depicting the percentages of considering & attempted suicide for different gender experiences.

Cisgender boy/man: 28% considered suicide, 8% attempted suicide

Cisgender girl/woman: 37% considered suicide, 10% attempted suicide

Transgender boy/man: 59% considered suicide, 22% attempted suicide

Transgender girl/woman: 48% considered suicide, 12% attempted suicide

Nonbinary/genderqueer: 53% considered suicide, 19% attempted suicide

Questioning: 48% considered suicide, 14% attempted suicide

end ID] ID by @tstomboy

Trans men are not receiving the support they need, and many of them are not surviving because of this. We need to make sure that mental health support and suicide for transgender individuals is as inclusive as possible for these transgender men who are at the highest risk.

We need to ensure trans men feel safe and welcome within the queer community as isolation is one of the more exacerbating factors on one's mental health. We need to make sure resources for victims of sexual violence are inclusive of transmasculine individuals, who face the highest rate of sexual abuse and yet often have to recloset themselves to find support. We have to love trans men because society shows them nothing but hate.

Check in with the trans men in your community, you may just save a life.

[chrystalmedeir3]

I can be yours forever, just tell me when to start..💞

[gor3sigil]

I’m Trans and Insane and I’m doing fine.

[TW Psychosis, transphobia, psychophobia, medication, psych ward]

“Are you sure ?” she asked.

I remember looking back at her in disbelief, because that was certainly a question I never asked her when she came out.

“Why do you ask ?” I say.

“Dude, I’ve seen you go into depersonalization so hard you even thought you were a human soul in a robot vessel and now, you want me to trust you when you say that you, too, are trans ?”

That’s the memory that comes back to me as I fold and put in my bag my psychiatrist’s note attesting that I suffer from gender dysphoria, NOT LINKED to any psychotic symptoms. Here it goes in my folder with my prescription note, an increase - again - of my anti depressants and Xan, and my endocrinologist’s HRT prescription, increased too - finally.

I go to two separate pharmacies to pick up each prescription for two reasons:

There is only one in this godforsaken town that always had testosterone in stock.

I can’t explain to you with words the look you can get when you give back to back, to someone who, despite not being a doctor, works in healthcare, a note for trans HRT and then a note for psychiatric meds.

And I’m lucky, because I’m not taking antipsychotics anymore. Contrarily to what you could think, it doesn’t magically makes the voices and the shadowy people disappear, but it can make a mess of your head pretty bad and my doctor and I both agreed that I didn’t need more damage up here than what I already had. And no, it doesn’t make your delusions vanish magically too: in fact, I was still pretty certain that I was talking to my soul family out here in Argentine telepathically about my mission on Earth, the meds just made it more difficult to understand their voices, but the belief was still solid.

Anyways, I’m back home with the Hoy Grail I fought tooth and nails to get: a letter from the Sacred Council of Mental Sanity also known as Psychiatry that I was, indeed, a bit delulu, but also trans, and that both things didn’t play into each other. My transness wasn’t a delusion, my delusions didn’t have anything to do with being trans.

Or did it ?

Chicken or egg, you know the drill. Did I have my selves fractured before and one of the piece that shattered my brain happened to make me trans or was I just trans with a shitload of traumas in the back that made me insane ?

But don’t worry, at least, trans people when we’re together, we have each other’s back ! Right ?

“Transidentity ISN’T a mental illness !! We don’t DESERVE to be FORCIBLY LOCKED UP and MEDICATED and MADE TO CONFORM FOR OTHER’S SENSE OF SECURITY !!”

Neither do I, RIGHT ?

Oh

Or do I ?

Remember what she said, my girlfriend, right at the beginning ?

How I can’t be trusted about myself when sometimes I don’t even have a sense of self anymore or I have too much selves who fight against each other ?

And what do we say to that ?

Get treatment. Get in-patient. Take medication. And for the love of God, shut the fuck up about it, you’re giving us a bad name.

Because being trans and crazy can’t exist. It’s absurd. You have to fix one of these two things. Choose which jacket I’ll wear, and they call it a straitjacket for a reason it seems, so am I queer or am I insane ?

All I know today is there isn’t a universe in which I’m a trans without any mental illnesses, or mentally ill without being trans. And yet, I can’t tell you how many time I got asked “do you think you’d be trans if you never got through [x trauma] ?”. I. Don’t. Know. I’ll never know. And I deserve just as much agency as you get despite being mentally ill. If you don’t believe in that, don’t come yapping about “liberation for all of us”, but “if one of us is crazy they’ll all think I am too and that can’t happen”.

No LGBTQIAA+ person deserves to be told they need to be put away, to be cured, to be allowed out in the open only if they’re deemed “acceptable” by society’s standards. And no mentally ill people deserve to either.

No trans person should be going through years of counseling to have the access to HRT.

And I shouldn’t have had to threaten my own mother’s life to avoid being locked in an adult psych ward at 14.

If you ever think, for one second, that these two things have nothing to do with one another, you are far removed from history.

To hear queer people say “yeah but some mentally ill people are dangerous !” feels like you don’t even know where you come from.

And if I want to say, that me being trans is linked to me being mentally ill, or at least, that both are connected in a way, all hell breaks fucking loose.

So I’ll explain very carefully.

See, when I was young, my mind got shattered into a thousand of pieces I had to try to glue back on. All these pieces of myself broke further more down the line because I couldn’t catch a fucking break. And now, it happens that the final puzzle does not have the same face it had before. It happens that its shape changed over time, for reasons over the control of all of us who tried to build ourselves back. Now there’s a bigger picture, less pieces, a few other shadows, and me. Built from the shatters. With my own needs and afflictions.

And whoever you are, whatever your agenda might be, I will not let anyone take any agency away from me under the false pretext that I can’t know anything for myself. They say that about children, they say that about minorities, about physically disabled people, about the people they want OUT. And my trans siblings, you know that.

I came out for the first time 7 years ago, to my then girlfriend, who was the one asking the question that is the first sentence of this text. I came out a second time 3 years ago. Been on HRT, had top surgery, had psychotic breaks, got my meds changed, switch therapist.

Because I am trans and crazy. And yet, all these choices I made, I made myself. It didn’t have to be that hard to get the basic care I needed. It didn’t need to be. But it WAS. And I’m part of the lucky crowd of people who had access to out-patient treatment, who never have been locked up in ward, who managed to stay alive through meds withdrawals without medical assistance when I had no therapist.

Be very careful of when you start to put conditions on the rights you think you deserve. Be very, very careful about your definition of sanity and of how it warps the way you see people. When you start to say “I have access to that, but there’s people like X or Y who shouldn’t BECAUSE”, pause and ask yourself what led you to think this way. More often than not, you’ll find yourself playing the same mind games as the ones you swore to fight against, and when it gives them the upper hand, they won’t hesitate to come for you after that.

[ponybunyy]

Do you think I am hot enough to be your trans girl?

[carriejenkinsstar]

Heyyyyyy. 😚

[frostralia]

I am not yours or anybodys to define. I am mine to define. 💙🩷🤍🩷💙

[vaspider]

Thankfully Tumblr seems to have eaten the ask so I can't post it, but I got an ask from @mewthoughtcrime asking me to reblog a post which is a repost of an essay called "The New Thoughtcrime."

@ohara-n-brown wrote a pretty good explanation of why I will not be touching that hot garbage with a ten foot pole.

@mewthoughtcrime (who I have since blocked) is tagging these posts with a bunch of trans-related tags, so if you don't want to see a bunch of "what you are is fake and your community is a cult" all up in those tags, might be easier just to block them. The post is disingenuous about its purpose as a "resource" post - the essay is a rehash of Irreversible Damage and nobody needs that nonsense.

[catgirl-kaiju]

i don't want anyone to start shit with tumblr user velvetvexations, but i do have some criticisms about the way she seems to operate.

when visiting her blog and looking her up in the tumblr search function, i see a pattern of behavior where she will go into people's ask boxes to badger folks who post about transmisogyny, interpretting many comments regarding the subject to be anti-transmasc, even when transmasc people are not even mentioned. she refers to this as "activism", but it reads more as a petulant "debate me" behavior that serves only to start fights with people she disagrees with.

this tendancy of hers is why i'm not @ing her or tagging her in this post, and why i've blocked her. i have no interest in dealing with a combative stranger on the internet.

i find it curious that she puts so much effort into harassing people who disagree with the transandrophobia model of talking about transmasc issues, or even just people who post about transmisogyny in a way she feels demonizes transmasc folks (just based on vibes, i guess), while putting very little effort into actually spreading awareness about the challenges that transmasc folks face.

like, i may disagree with transandrophobia being an appropriate or productive way to model the kinds of challenges unique to transmasc folks, but that doesn't mean that i think transmasc issues aren't worth talking about and making space for. i mostly post abt transfem stuff, bc that's what i most easily relate to, and it's what i can speak to from my experiences. but i do actually try to boost posts from transmasc folks that talk about transmasc issues and the transmasc experience. transmasc folks are an important part of my life and my community; i want them to be heard and cared about.

but, under the narrow conception of someone like velvetvexations, i actually hate transmasc folks bc i don't talk abt their issues and experiences the specific way she wants people to. and, frankly, it's strange that she seems to consider herself an authority in this area when she is not able to speak from a transmasc perspective. i think her energy would be much better spent boosting the words of transmasc folks speaking to their own experiences and drawing attention to causes that can address the challenges that they face, instead of trying to police the speech of her fellow transfems.

anyway, i think it would be hypocritical of me, on some level, to insist that she should boost the speech of transmasc folks and draw attention to causes that aid transmascs without doing that myself. so, i'll be taking a moment to post some links here to charitable causes that benefit transmascs:

Tbuddy bridges the critical gap in mental health support for transmasculine individuals by fostering a safe, 24/7 peer support network that leverages the power of lived experience. Through compassionate and confidential connections, we combat isolation, depression, and empower transmasculine individuals to thrive.

you can donate to Tbuddy on their website and you can apply for their services and resources if you are a transmasc person in need. they have been around since 2017, and were founded in response to the 51% suicide rate among transmasc folks at the time, seeking to combat the issues that drive transmasc people to suicidality.

DCATS (DC Area Transmasculine Society) is a trans-led nonprofit organization that serves to advance the lives of transmasculine folks by providing resources that help overcome the social, economic, and health-related barriers to living authentically. Founded in 1998 as a monthly support group, DCATS has transformed into an organization that offers a variety of services to meet our community's needs.

DCATS has a donate option on their website, as well as methods of contact, events, and programs.

Trans Masculine Alliance Houston is a peer led community group for anyone assigned female at birth (AFAB) who identifies as FtM, transmasculine, non-binary, or who is questioning their gender. TMAH’s mission is to provide a safe and supportive environment for the transmasculine community. We hold workshops, community building and social activities, and meet to engage in discussion of issues related to transmasculine identity. Additionally, we are working on a program to help offset the cost of gender affirming surgeries and name/gender marker filing fees.

there does not appear to be a place to donate on their website, but they do have a directory of various resources pertinent to transmasc needs, some of them specific to the Houston area, and some more widely accessible.

i'm gonna stop there, just bc this post is already SO long, but anyone feel free to post more in the reblogs. also, transmascs, feel free to post any of your donation or fundraising links on this post. i will do my best to boost!

alright end of post, g'night y'all!

[allthegeopolitics]

Three per cent of high-school students in the US now identify as transgender, according to the latest research.  The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) first nationally representative survey about transgender students revealed that 3.3 per cent of high-school pupils identified as trans last year while 2.2 per cent were questioning if they were transgender.  The study also highlighted health disparities faced by trans students, with almost 26 per cent reporting that they had attempted suicide in the past year. Just five per cent of cisgender male and 11 per cent of cisgender female students had tried to take their own life.

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[transascend-twin-flame-journey]

If you feel overwhelmed about the results of the US presidential election, it's okay. Just know that there is a way to feel better and to improve your life permanently while doing so. If you do the inner work that you need to do to heal yourself of what's bothering you, you will see results. 💖

#elections2024#transmentalhealth#transgender#lgbtqia#lgbtqmentalhealth

[pinkpetalbee]

[yourfourthgradepetrock]

"But then I won't have anyone to watch the pink opaque with."

She says she's leaving

she's been sick for a while

she has been suffocating

and she is strong enough to weld and wield a shovel

and dig out of her own grave

and they will cut their hair

and change their name

and they will be free

But he is not ready

he needs the dirt, you see, because

the fresh air is far too revealing

And it is easier to hate your life

if it means the world will hate you

a little less

he is another kid

in mid-south-west-nowhere, US

who will write goodbyes

in tandem with acceptance speeches

who will be buried in an ill-fitting suit

and she will have a false name on her headstone

under six thick feet of dirt

packed tight to keep the pink from showing

to keep her soul from glowing

the people at her funeral will mourn someone they did not know

But at least they will attend

And the liquid that lands on her coffin

will be tears

instead of spittle

It is easier that way, she swore

Because she was left behind

with no one to watch the TV glow with

[nanogono]

As a transman, I am BOYCOTTING this coming PRIDE

a few days ago, I watched a screening of a soon-to-be-released Pride documentary - it didn't include a single transman speaker out of over 30 interviews. This was a nail in the coffin moment for me. I am tired of being erased in every queer space I go that's suppose to be "for me" or at least include people like me. Done. I'm fucking done. If the queer community isn't going to uplift trans men (especially 'male-perceived' trans people for that matter), then it's not safe for trans men to be a part of it.

And, no, I don't mean just Corporate Pride (the issue is in our communities as well [at least in NYC where I live- but I've noticed it in other places, too] I am not going to be attending any Pride events this year. If you are a transman who knows what I'm talking about and is tired as fuck, too, I urge you to do the same If you are an ally to the trans community or a woman-passing trans person [i'm including afabs here] (or if you're a butch tw that feels up to it), I encourage you to make signs for marches or events where signs are appropriate that say: "Where are the Trans Men?" "Trans Men Exist" or if you like to argue, the ever so unpopular: "Tran's Rights are Men's Rights, Too" or really any slogan you think might pressure the world and our communities to be there, support, and make visible trans men. I've come to the sad realization that I can no longer survive in queer spaces if I am constantly being erased. Please, allies and those with some spotlight, this Pride start asking events, talks, performances, rallies, shows, concerts, floats, panels, etc: "Where are the trans men?"

[gor3sigil]

I wanted to remind you something that I myself struggle with: sometimes, living is enough.

I know that as trans people we always feel the need to produce things. Art, music, reading material, anything to show that we're existed, we're here. But, you ARE here. You don't need to prove it, you don't need to theorise your existence nor justify it. It doesn't have to make sense of have a grand purpose.

And no, you won't be forgotten. People notice you. The clerks from the store you shop in every weekend ? They think about you around the time you usually come in and will be surprise, maybe concerned if you don't show up. The neighbour you have a little chat with on your way to work ? They know about you. There's a little community of people that know about you and remember you even if you don't have a close-knit relationship. These little things matter, trust me.

Having ambitions is fantastic, but if for today, tomorrow or more the best you can do is live, wake up everyday and do what you can, then it's enough and I'm proud of you for going this far.

[ed-recovery-affirmations]

Hey guys, still running around like a headless chicken to get all my shit done and don't have time to properly address my inbox, but I did have a brief chat with a follower who is in need of resources I don't know of. This individual is transmasc and is also concerned about another transmasc person in their life in regards to body image and eating struggles. This individual has looked into ED-specific spaces and can only find recovery spaces for girls.

Does anyone know of support groups that promote healthy body image for men, or groups for trans people who struggle with their bodies due to dysphoria? Feel free to reblog or drop a reply in the comments, or shoot me a message on anon if you know of any resources.

[carriejenkinsstar]

I had a dream about a hot tub last night. 🛁