Here’s What Parents Of Transgender Kids Need To Know

The Federalist 9 January 2015
As a former child transgender, my heart goes out to parents whose boy says, “I’m a girl” or whose girl who says, “I’m a boy.” The medical diagnosis is gender dysphoria—distress that comes from feeling one’s physical gender doesn’t match one’s internal perception. A flood of questions come with the revelation: What causes it? What treatment will help? What should parents do or not do?…..

Transgender Children Typically Need Treatment for Other Disorders
Studies indicate that two-thirds of transgenders suffer from multiple disorders at the same time, or comorbidity. The top three disorders evidenced in transgenders are depression (33 percent), specific phobia (20 percent) and adjustment disorder (15 percent). A child who states a desire to identify as the opposite sex has a two-thirds chance of having a co-existing disorder….

What Causes the Comorbid Disorders that Exist in So Many Transgenders?
After receiving hundreds of emails over the last several years, it became evident to me that comorbid disorders develop in childhood. ……

The key for parents to helping young transgenders is to work with a professional to identify the cause of the stress the child faces and correctly diagnose any comorbid disorder that exists concurrently with the gender dysphoria. Parents are in the best position to identify the cause of the stress the child faces…..

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http://thefederalist.com/2015/01/09/heres-what-parents-of-transgender-kids-need-to-know/

Walt Heyer is an accomplished author and public speaker with a passion for mentoring individuals whose lives have been torn apart by unnecessary gender-change surgery.