CD / TG /TS as a "meme" ?

[sandra-leigh]

Caution: some of the below may be upsetting. The postulate expressed is a challenging one, but that possibly has a nugget of truth in it.

Wondering around the 'net today, I came across the description of a rare illness, Morgellons Syndrome (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgellons). The symptoms are not relevant here, and in themselves have nothing to do with dressing or gender. The established medical opinion is that the symptoms of that illness are delusions or psychosomatic. Morgellons appears to have the unusual property that people can start suffering from it after hearing or reading about it. Which leads to some interesting text in the description (linked to above):


Morgellons patients usually self-diagnose based on information from the Internet and find support and confirmation in on-line communities of people with similar illness beliefs. In 2006, Waddell and Burke reported the influence of the Internet on their self-diagnosed Morgellons patients: "physicians are becoming more and more challenged by the many persons who attempt self-diagnosis on-line. In many cases, these attempts are well-intentioned, yet wrong, and a patient's belief in some of these oftentimes unscientific sites online may preclude their trust in the evidence-based approaches and treatment recommendations of their physician." Dermatologist Caroline Koblenzer specifically faults the MRF website for misleading patients: "Clearly, as more and more of our patients discover this site (MRF), there will be an ever greater waste of valuable time and resources on fruitless research into fibers, fluffs, irrelevant bacteria, and innocuous worms and insects." Vila-Rodriguez and MacEwan said in the American Journal of Psychiatry that the Internet is important in spreading and supporting "bizarre" disease beliefs, because "a belief is not considered delusional if it is accepted by other members of an individual’s culture or subculture."

The LA Times, in an article on Morgellons, notes that "(t)he recent upsurge in symptoms can be traced directly to the Internet, following the naming of the disease by Mary Leitao, a Pennsylvania mother." Robert Bartholomew, a sociologist who has studied the Morgellons phenomenon, states that the "World Wide Web has become the incubator for mass delusion and it (Morgellons) seems to be a socially transmitted disease over the Internet." According to this hypothesis, patients with delusions of parasitosis and other psychological disorders become convinced they have "Morgellons" after reading internet accounts of others with similar symptoms. A 2005 Popular Mechanics article stated that Morgellons symptoms are well-known and characterized in the context of other disorders, and that "widespread reports of the strange fibers date back" only a few years to when the MRF first described them on the Internet.

The Dallas Observer writes that Morgellons may be spread via the Internet and mass media, and "(i)f this is the case, then Morgellons is one in a long line of weird diseases that have swept through populations, only to disappear without a trace once public concern subsides." The article draws parallels to several mass media-spread mass delusions. An article in the journal Psychosomatics in 2009 similarly asserts that Morgellons is an Internet meme.

(emphasis mine)

I would put to the floor the suggestion that there are likely quite a few people who consider us to be delusional, and consider cross-dressing forums under the lens of being a place holding "a belief [that] is not considered delusional [because] it is accepted by other members of an individual’s culture or subculture."

I am convinced that my personal gender struggles are not "delusion" to me. On the other hand, there are days when I have my doubts. (Well, not about it being "delusion", but rather whether I am mistaken about my gender.)

The portion of the material above that deals with the spread of Morgellons to those who read about it gives me a bit of pause to think. It has been reported that the rate of "cross-dressing" in itself is going down, but that "gender variance" and especially transsexuality has been increasing rapidly (in particular in the young) -- more so than would be expected from "uncorking a bottle under pressure". There are likely multiple reasons for that, but I do sometimes wonder to what extent (if any) the spread of the idea of transsexuality is leading people to incorrectly "self-diagnose" it? (And to be clear, I absolutely believe that for some people the self-diagnosis would be completely correct.)

[Annaliese2010]

IMHO..do what you want for whatever reason(s) as long as you're not hurting anyone. Who cares about this or that or what-tha-fc-EVer label or norm or fcing little 'opinion' or 'moral standard' of this group or that group or whatever tha fc new coined term which like OMG...who Cares!? Gawwwd...

What I think? WE are THE most self-doubting self-persecuted overly-sensitive insecure species on God's green earth. We worry way tooo much over analyze and are ultra vulnerable to everyone and everything. We take too many things to heart and are hurt by others way too easy.

I say "tha Hell with all that". We gotta 'girl-up' and do what we wanna & gotta. Hell...no one Asked to be this way. We just ARE how we are (sooo cool, awesome, pretty & sexy). Who can argue against THAT? Fact.

(I rest me case) ;)

[Rachelakld]

Ofcourse the internet focus our pre-dispositions and the information we get confirms our oppinion and internal filters nail our ar-es such that we MUST have that particular whatever.
The same applied when the medical world released an encylopedia.
The same applies when we see Doctor Oz on TV (did we not all hit the asprin for a few months when he said everyone over 40 should have some to thin the blood?).

It's called Mass Media
Another word association I have is gullible.

Does hearing other peoples stories, increase our own "bravery", encourgage us to push the boundaries - Of course it does.
Has it changed societies to become more tolerant, NO (they probably don't know of this forum) - but US (the you and me of the world) pushing the boundaries of social norm has, and that's a good thing in my book.

[Sister Rachel]

I agree with Annaliese 100% Well expressed, good on you, girl :-) Ultimately, it's of no use or relevance to us how we are categorised by people who make a profession of categorising people. Who cares? We can't be categorised anyway, we are all individuals. Well I am, anyway ;-)

[CynthiaD]

No, not the same thing. People self-diagnose with Morgellons after reading about the symptoms. Many people here, myself included, started crossdressing long before we heard anything about such a thing. Look at all the posts that say "I used to think I was the only one."

Are there people who hear about transgenderism and then, incorrectly assume that they must be transgendered? Of course there are. Are there perfectly healthy people who self-diagnose with some form of incurrable cancer? Yes. It doesn't mean that everyone who thinks they have cancer is wrong. And just because a few people are deluded about being transgendered doesn't mean that nobody is.

[marlenesexton]

Not sure it matters. People like to put things in categories. People like to examine things to death. I'm not sure that any of this is increasing or decreasing but the way they are perceived are what's changing.

Child abductions are a perfect example. People generally thing that abductions are on the rise or they are a recent phenomena of our society. They are not. the 24 hours is what's changed. abduction are no more prevalent that they ever were but we hear about them more. Autism is another example. Do more and more kids really have autism or are we learning to diagnose it better and even changing the definition, and therefore perception?

I get the need to examine ones self and what makes you tick, especially when what make you tick also makes you different. Musing about why you like to feel like a woman, dress like one or ever sometimes want to be one is interesting and even fun. Worrying too much about it, however, can get you in to trouble. Labels are meaningless. You're a crossdresser and your feelings are a delusion (or whatever). So what. Perception is reality. If you think you have gender issues, you have gender issues. All the doctors and scientists telling you otherwise doesn't do much to change your reality.

[KellyJameson]

It is similar to exporting mental illness as western definitions of what is and is not a mental illness are adopted by other countries the people than start showing the symptoms.

Quantum Physics posits that life as consciousness creates reality and the universe would not exist if there were no participants in it so certainly the power of the mind should never be underestimated to do both goood and harm to self and others.

Gender only exists as a continuum on a spectrum between two opposites so it is measured either as a blending of two opposites or as a either or contrasted by biological opposites.

Some think in terms of the body as a measure of gender and others as the brain/mind.

There are many forms of intersexuality where the body is not one or the other so why would the brain not also be susceptible to these forces.

Mammals start out female brained and it is only through the action of hormones that the brain is changed so any changes to the brain or body must be related to reproduction so ultimately the only differences between men and women must be related to reproduction.

The concept of gender only exists because of reproduction because if not for reproduction there would be no need for two sexes and without two sexes the concept of gender would be impossible.

Gender is always about measurement, comparison and performance within a duality made up of biological opposites.

We identify with our tribe when the tribe is found to be a reflection of how we know ourselves to be.

If you had not found yourself in other woman you would not hold a female gender identity because you would know that is not the gender you resonate with.

You resonate with them because you have a brain that operates at the same frequency so gender identity takes us back to quantum physics where everything is a vibration and from this "feeling" experience we learn the gender we are.

From the moment we are born the world is constantly and relentlessly telling us what gender we are if you know how to listen. It is this message that creates much of the pain when the body is not the same as the message because you "hear/see" one thing but "experience/feel" another.

Gender dysphoria is partly made up from mixed messages being communicated so the mind is confused about what is true.

To know your gender you must leave the physical world that is observable and trust the deeper primitive, primal brain.

Gender is very ancient and to know it you must feel it in your bones

Gender was there when we still lived in caves long before culture created its concepts of masculine and feminine.

[Angela Campbell]

Morgellons is something that a person reads about.....sees the same symptoms they ALREADY have.....the doctors say there is nothing wrong with them, and still they have the symptoms, so they are self diagnosing because the medical community has failed them. I have seen it on other things. I went to the doctor for chest pains...he put me in the hospital and they did all kinds of tests on my heart. They found nothing wrong with my heart so they sent me home and did no more. If it does not fit into what they are used to they ignore it and leave you to your symptoms. They did not care to find out what was the problem, if it was not the heart then they were not interested at all in finding out what it is.

OK so as said here already....I knew I was a girl since I was around 4. I was told I was not and to just forget it. Over the years it got stronger and stronger until I had to do something about it. Did I self diagnose? Maybe. Was I correct? I think so and so does my therapist.

But that is the way it works isn't it. We all self diagnose with the help of the therapist. He will not tell you what you are he gets you to tell him/her what you are.

[Emogene]

How but a nice simple response? I for one did not frequent this forum until after I became a cross dresser. Then, in order to understand the sudden, what I then considered aberant behavior, I started to surf the Internet trying to understand my mental problem.

I suspect that is the senario for most people who join the forum or just search out cross dressing and related topics on the Internet.

Too simplistic?

[Beverley Sims]

I think there is too much over thinking and self diagnosis because of the internet.

Rachael Kidd? has come very close to it with the following statements.

"The same applies when we see Doctor Oz on TV (did we not all hit the asprin for a few months when he said everyone over 40 should have some to thin the blood?)."

Mass media and gullible go hand in hand here.

Like a mob of sheep following the leader.

[busker]

Years ago, my ex and I were told by the dean of a med school that the greatest number of hypochondriacs were first year medical students. They knew they had a disease after reading about it in their texts. This sounds pretty close. Mass hysteria would be another example, the panic in 1939 caused by Orson Wells ' radio broadcast of the War of the Worlds. He said and other people readily believed it. They knew it was happening.
hypochondria, a mental illness in which people may worry or believe that they have a disease, even after medical tests show ....

This on WEBMD: Health information on the web is valuable to most people, but for hypochondriacs , it can be too much information. Their condition can worsen into a modern ...
this from the newyorker.com
Hypochondria also has the Internet to thank, as does its sibling paranoia. Some four-fifths of Americans now routinely research their own ...

There is evidence of it here as well. "The I told my wife" posts after someone else has done it--and often to great disaster.
"It is easy to go out, everyone does it" =breeder of false confidence.
Follow the leader, hypochondriacs, Morgellons, it isn't necessarily about labels, it is about how easily we are influenced, especially if we have a tendency to be going in the same direction. The denials and rebuttals are more interesting that the "illness". Yes, I think you did upset the applecart a bit. Good for you!

[Leah Lynn]

I went to the doctor for chest pains...he put me in the hospital and they did all kinds of tests on my heart. They found nothing wrong with my heart so they sent me home and did no more.

a few months after going back to work following a heart attack, I was having chest pains out on the road. An ambulance ride, four days in a hospital in a distant city, and "Hey your heart's all good!" Several months later, more pains, etc. This time they actually looked for the cause. I developed asthma. If doctors spent more time actually LISTENING to the patient, they wouldn't get sued so much.

[LilSissyStevie]

What's really happening here is the medical-industrial complex is upset that the internet allows fake diseases to proliferate willy-nilly whereas in the good ol' days they had a monopoly on the creation of fake diseases (restless leg syndrome??) through the government and corporate media. Fake diseases need to have official approval and be profitable to the medical-industrial complex. If they were really worried about people self diagnosing, why are there so may drug advertisements in the corporate media? "Ask your doctor about....." after they've told you the symptoms to present in order to get the prescription. Yes, the internet is a source of false information, but it doesn't block the truth like "official" channels do.

God save us from people who want to save us from being wrong.