Doubting your gender identity

[Autumn Rain]

I posed this question elsewhere but I'm also asking it here to get a wider response.

Do you ever experience doubt about your gender identity? I am male, was born male and pretty sure my mind is male (for want of a better way to put it). I'm not a stereotypically masculine man, in fact the opposite in many ways, but I still see myself as male. Sometimes though I doubt myself and I think I might be trans. It's probably all in my head but at times it's been quite overwhelming. 

[Pikachu]

I’ve had this worry before. It actually helped me to realise that your brain isn’t really a determining factor here at all - transition is a treatment option some decide on, while others who have experiences of dysphoria (whatever form it takes for them and whatever the cause) decide not to. After I began viewing it as a treatment option for something I ultimately would never take, this obsession ceased for me entirely. 

Of course, this doesn’t change the fact that ultimately your worry may be ‘what if I experience the things that make someone decide to transition’ - but like any other OCD obsession, it’s just talk. It doesn’t mean anything, it’s just a thought designed to worry you and doubt yourself. You can start thinking about it in the way I did if you want, but ultimately no matter what you choose you’ve got to leave the doubts/thoughts alone and not think anymore deeply about them. Doing so would be compulsions (eg ruminating, checking, testing, trying to ‘solve’ the thoughts or work them out) and will keep you stuck worrying about random thoughts that ultimately don’t matter or mean anything. I hope this helps somewhat. 

[paleandmorbid]

Can't help you.

[Autumn Rain]

5 hours ago, Pikachu said:

I’ve had this worry before. It actually helped me to realise that your brain isn’t really a determining factor here at all - transition is a treatment option some decide on, while others who have experiences of dysphoria (whatever form it takes for them and whatever the cause) decide not to. After I began viewing it as a treatment option for something I ultimately would never take, this obsession ceased for me entirely. 

Of course, this doesn’t change the fact that ultimately your worry may be ‘what if I experience the things that make someone decide to transition’ - but like any other OCD obsession, it’s just talk. It doesn’t mean anything, it’s just a thought designed to worry you and doubt yourself. You can start thinking about it in the way I did if you want, but ultimately no matter what you choose you’ve got to leave the doubts/thoughts alone and not think anymore deeply about them. Doing so would be compulsions (eg ruminating, checking, testing, trying to ‘solve’ the thoughts or work them out) and will keep you stuck worrying about random thoughts that ultimately don’t matter or mean anything. I hope this helps somewhat. 

Thanks. Yes, this would apply to something else I have been ruminating over and I am trying to apply the same to that.