Are TG CD more prone to depression?

[andrea lace]

I was wondering if trans gender and cross dressers more prone to depression. As a cross dresser myself I had periods of depression in my late twenty's and early thirty's. Having a deep identity crisis at the time and keeping the secret didn't do me any favors. I always thought that my liking to dress as a woman was somehow perverted and there was something somehow wrong with me. For me my life came to a tipping point and telling my wife was the next logical step and since telling her I am a happier person in general. The reason I ask is because watching the news this morning there was an article on hate crime against the trans gender community and a trans gender-ed lady was speaking about the hurdles she faced on her journey from changing from a man to a woman. Other than the hate crime that she suffered at the hands of two morons she mentioned the depression she suffered as a result of being born in the wrong body and has set up a help group to help other trans gender-ed people through the the obvious hardships they face on a daily basis's. Any feedback would be welcome thanks.

[sandra-leigh]

There aren't many statistics on transgender, partly because it is difficult to define.

There are statistics for transsexuals, and they do show a fairly high rate of depression. Many of the TS members here report depression; my mental assessment is that most of the TS members here have gone through depression. There have been a few who have mentioned that have not, though.

Statistics for TS are pretty bleak.

One issue that I have not seen explored in anything I have read, is the relative rates of "emotional depression" and "physical depression" in TS. Emotional depression triggered by attempting to survive in the wrong sex has an opportunity to clear up after transition, but physical depression (depression with biological triggers) might never clear up completely.

In my situation, the medical evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that I was born with a gender-related biological brain conflict that got worse and worse over time until I fell apart, after which I started to realize my gender was a problem. Having your brain centers fight each other at a biological level causes nasty depressions, and some of the other members here have probably had difficulties along those lines.

Other members here do not seem to have had the same kind of difficulty, that their brain is not fighting itself, just that their brain is not the same gender as their body would suggest. That is quite a sufficient problem in itself to lead to serious emotional depression difficulties.

[Beverley Sims]

I think transgendered folk are more prone to depression.
I say this because they already have a mindset where they are living in the wrong body and after starting hormone replacement therapy their mindset changes causing even more bouts of the world is against me and when is it going to stop type of unhappiness.
If I have expressed this incorrectly it is what I have experienced from people I have known and it is hard for me to describe.

[Maria S]

Personally I find it the other way round. Problems in my personal life could make some suicidal but CDing is a release from that. I suddenly become someone else.

Maria

[Rachelakld]

Hi Andrea,
I crossdress.
My reasoning is that I have some weired form of multiple / sub personality.
The crossover of personalities are supportive of the other personalities and the physical entity, as such I've not yet had any form of depression (my father suffered so I hope genetics aren't involved).
I got lucky - so far.
And as like Maria, Cd is my form of escape from 40 hr working weeks, worrying if I'll have enough to make payments.

But thinking of how society treats anyone different (race, red heads, down syndrome etc), or anyone they don't understand (gays, race again, political alignments etc), I would suspect they have every right to be more prone.

[noeleena]

Hi,

Its a very hard ? to answer i know of about some 100.000 people with in the ranks of trans dresser's & others ,& if every one were to say they were trans or dresser's & talked to thier G P's / Dr's there maybe a record , it's just we will never know or have access to that info.

The same apply's to others getting info will not happen or be given out, & it would be unfair to say .

I can look at 2200 women on our women only forum to access info just ill not do it, all ill say is , i know many have had & still do have depresson as to %, again no comment, i just know its high.

This i can say Jos has had depression for over 40 years, & this is a major , our daughter allso has a mild form as well. in our family of 16 this is Jos & myself & our family offspring. 3 grown up adults & 9 grandkids with one more comeing in march.

With my interaction with people i know there are many triggers that cause depression & some its from birth, or deaths in family's or work related, for trans people being trans could bring on depression. though my gut feeling is its there just needs the onset of something to bring it to the fore,

Im intersexed, & yes iv had a mild form of depression i know what its like , now the start of that . it was not started because im intersexed, .

Oh dear, ........ its a combining of family how to sort out issues, what i was doing to my partner, kids, how it would impact them yes 8 BLOODY >>>> YEARS of HELL.....you get through that & see what it does, screws your mind pulls you down one week of pure ...HELL...suiside hey i know & so does Jos. Jos has lived with suiside for over 40 years,

I had to be strong enough to keep her alive, 39 years so far. iv not cracked yet iv been pretty close so yea its tough,

I got through it because Kaylyn our daughter gave birth to Dejarn who's now 10 y 3 m i gave as much as i could to her she though a tiny dot keeped me alive so i lived for her with out her........... i dont wont to think where id be now. & what i would have missed out on.

Dejarn is my little girl i could not give birth to, thats what this is all about unless your a female / woman & not able to give birth to ....YOUR.... own child you have no idear you whole body reflects that, being a female & you cant have that, kill's you deep with in. hope iv explained it,

...noeleena...

[Kate Simmons]

No more or less than anyone else I think but it also depends on the individual person and the things they are dealing with.

[Carol A]

I really don't know, but will say I get depress when I can not dress. I am so much happer with Carol then in drab.

[Michelle (Oz)]

Responding as a CDer, I don't generally get depressed - well not anything that some retail therapy doen't fix.

[Claire Cook]

Since I've accepted and embraced my female side (that is to say all of me), I've been a lot less depressed, and not just about not CD'ing. I wonder if guilt and fear of discovery are related to CD depression?

[Petra_Briar]

I agree with Michelle, shopping therapy usually helps solve my mood....