Treating dysphoria properly

There are gender variant people who do not suffer from dysphoria, however for those who do, highly unresolved levels will leave them feeling that there is always something wrong. Conversely when we have arrived at the right solution, there will be no need to move to another level. In other words, once you are happy, do nothing else and stay there.

Many transgender people, particularly older ones, typically made critical life decisions before finding self-acceptance and were therefore constrained in their ability to treat their dysphoria. This led to episodes of anxiety and sometimes depression plus that horrible build up of "gender expression deprivation anxiety" where the thoughts can become obsessive. What we aspire to do is find a baseline where this disappears or is at least better mitigated.

For some people this will be medical or social transition but it doesn't need to be. A more frequent expression cycle can work for those with milder levels of dysphoria with the goal of reducing the peaks and valleys. I know I am much happier having accomplished this and I am now simply fine tuning my psyche because decades of repression do take their toll.

Knowing there isn't one magic formula but instead a very unique one for every individual which takes into account many factors should help us. Our barometer for success will be our increased calm, sense of well-being and hopefully an increase in self-respect which comes from also having treated any remaining stigma.

Certainly a transgender person being with a non-accepting partner does little for their self-esteem but that should be viewed from the lens as being the spouse's own mental blockage more than ours. This would be especially true if they have known from the outset and purport to love their partner fully instead of conditionally.