Thread by @agedysphoria

Saying 'Everyone feels younger' to deny the existence of age dysphoria is like saying 'Everyone feels sad' to deny the existence of depression.

Depression is not just feeling sad, and age dysphoria is not just feeling younger.

Age dysphoria is a persistent, impairing distress that results from a mismatch between someone's internal sense of their age/development (age identity) and their chronological age.

Although there has been a small amount of research on the subject in the form of case studies and community surveys, there is little recongition of this phenomenon in the medical community, and thus, age dysphoria is not yet recognised in diagnostic manuals.

As a result of a lack of study and lack of medical recognition, persons with age dysphoria have few treatment options, and the options they do have may not be covered by insurance since age dysphoria is not yet a billable diagnosis.

One of the most important goals for the #agedysphoria community and the #transage community is to get age dysphoria recognised in the DSM and ICD so that people with this condition can get the help that they need.

The difference between #agedysphoria and #transage is that one describes a mental illness (age dysphoria), and one describes a person's identity (transage). Transage people are absolutely not trying to deny the reality that nearly all of us suffer from a mental illness.

We say we are transage simply as a way to identify the experience we are going through as people with age dysphoria and as a way to feel positive and proud in ourselves rather than simply feeling miserable. Building confidence and esteem in oneself is not delusion.

TRANSAGE PEOPLE NEED HELP. We need better psychiatric help. We need better behavioural/psychological help. We need better medical–surgical help. None of us are trying to deny reality or justify any heinous crimes. We are suffering, and we need help.