1. Andrew @AusPsychReview I have no desire to get into long but pointless conversations
I believe your starting point - your fundamental assumption - is incorrect
The question then becomes should I waste my time trying to explain why to someone who is not open to listening. …
I believe your starting point - your fundamental assumption - is incorrect
The question then becomes should I waste my time trying to explain why to someone who is not open to listening. …
https://twitter.com/auspsychreview/status/1960254224769699916
2. But I will give you some benefit, not of doubt, but of hope.
Can we agree that Mental ill health refers to a range of conditions that affect a person's thinking, feeling, or behavior, causing distress & impairing their ability to function in daily life? …
Can we agree that Mental ill health refers to a range of conditions that affect a person's thinking, feeling, or behavior, causing distress & impairing their ability to function in daily life? …
3. Nb: ‘causing distress & impairing their ability to function in daily life’
I was extremely distressed throughout childhood & teen yrs because people expected me to be a girl.
I am not talking expectations of behaviour, or clothing. I am talking about being invisible. …’
I was extremely distressed throughout childhood & teen yrs because people expected me to be a girl.
I am not talking expectations of behaviour, or clothing. I am talking about being invisible. …’
4. When I saw the psychiatric services, a question asked was “would you take a pill if it would make you happy as a girl for the rest of your life?”
I answered “happy for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t care if it made me a poodle. But you don’t have that pill, do you ?” …
I answered “happy for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t care if it made me a poodle. But you don’t have that pill, do you ?” …
5. The ‘pill’ did in fact exist.
12 months after I commenced living so that other people could see a person that approximated me, which greatly improved my anxieties, depression & s**cidal ideation (& attempts) was oral testosterone.
4yrs later I had a hysterectomy & chest…
12 months after I commenced living so that other people could see a person that approximated me, which greatly improved my anxieties, depression & s**cidal ideation (& attempts) was oral testosterone.
4yrs later I had a hysterectomy & chest…
6. … reconstruction. My anxieties, depression & s**cidal ideation vanished completely. That was 1979. They have never returned
Since then I have faced down huge amounts of prejudice, discrimination, harassment & hate crime.
Yet despite all the 💩 life threw at me & mine…
Since then I have faced down huge amounts of prejudice, discrimination, harassment & hate crime.
Yet despite all the 💩 life threw at me & mine…
7. … I have had no distress (beyond the normal temporary sort eg when sacked from the next job, twice being accused of being a paedophile, having a mob attack the house, people trying to stop our children going to the local school - the sort of normal 💩)
Sorry to bore you .,,
Sorry to bore you .,,
8. … but I’m going to have to give you some of my CV
I ran a successful property business, 1981 boughtmy 1st house for £2,400 - with an outside loo, & sold my last one for 7 figures. I am renovating my 11th - a large Victorian Villa.
During this time I got a BA Geography …
I ran a successful property business, 1981 boughtmy 1st house for £2,400 - with an outside loo, & sold my last one for 7 figures. I am renovating my 11th - a large Victorian Villa.
During this time I got a BA Geography …
9. … then whilst working I studied p/time for 10yrs to get a Law degree, an MA in criminal social sciences, & a PhD in Law.
I obtained a tutoring post in 1991 with the Open University, took a full time Lecturing post in 1993. I ran a scout group (& the troop) for 10yrs,…
I obtained a tutoring post in 1991 with the Open University, took a full time Lecturing post in 1993. I ran a scout group (& the troop) for 10yrs,…
10. … only choosing to resign when I co-founded a trans rights lobby group & coming out big time - not want to cause embarrassment to
Scouting
Many of those now grown up young men, as many of my ex students, stay in touch, & are not just family friends but are trans allies.…
Scouting
Many of those now grown up young men, as many of my ex students, stay in touch, & are not just family friends but are trans allies.…
11. We also successfully fought to the doors of the Courts for my wife to have fertility treatment & we have raised 4 wonderful young public servants
We took the Govt to the European Court of Human Rights to be declared a family in 1997.
I write expert reports for courts in…
We took the Govt to the European Court of Human Rights to be declared a family in 1997.
I write expert reports for courts in…
12. Not just trans issues but also in asylum
I led the community to the first legal protections in 1996 gaining employment protection, all the way through to gender recognition & inclusion in the protections in the Eq Act.
I was the first non-clinician & first trans person….
I led the community to the first legal protections in 1996 gaining employment protection, all the way through to gender recognition & inclusion in the protections in the Eq Act.
I was the first non-clinician & first trans person….
13. … to become President of WPATH, so tho not a clinician I have engaged in learning gender healthcare, & now chair the first UK NHS Gender clinic staffed by family drs not Psychiatrists.
I received an OBE in the Queens New Years Honours in 2005, the year I was l made a…
I received an OBE in the Queens New Years Honours in 2005, the year I was l made a…
14. … Professor in Equalities Law - just 10 yrs after obtaining my PhD - almost unheard of in law. I am an elected Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences
I could go on & on, the above is just a fragment of my post transition life. Much of life has not been easy, but a…
I could go on & on, the above is just a fragment of my post transition life. Much of life has not been easy, but a…
15. …great deal of hard work. Now back to no 2 of this thread,
Mental ill health causes distress & impaired functioning
I’ve not been distressed about myself or my weird (to others) body, and I clearly have not had any impaired functioning
Maybe it was impaired, & …
Mental ill health causes distress & impaired functioning
I’ve not been distressed about myself or my weird (to others) body, and I clearly have not had any impaired functioning
Maybe it was impaired, & …
16. … I could have gone to Oxbridge & become prime minister, if I hadn’t been trans - there is always that possibility.
Nobody can possibly argue I have been in a ‘state of mental ill health’ for the 50 years since I started my transition…
Nobody can possibly argue I have been in a ‘state of mental ill health’ for the 50 years since I started my transition…
17. … I acknowledge I was born articulate & able, & I clearly am lucky as regards resilience, & in meeting the right person for me 47yrs ago.
BTW I am not repressed lesbian, I identified myself as bisexual when I was 10. I fall for people - their smile not their genitals …
BTW I am not repressed lesbian, I identified myself as bisexual when I was 10. I fall for people - their smile not their genitals …
18. As for my body, it’s not but then who’s is?
Your premise that TP are mentally ill, despite being happy, fails because I am the person who disproves your hypothesis
And I kniw thousands of TP who post-transition also show no distress & no impaired functioning, but they …
Your premise that TP are mentally ill, despite being happy, fails because I am the person who disproves your hypothesis
And I kniw thousands of TP who post-transition also show no distress & no impaired functioning, but they …
19. … all had it prior to transition
So I concluded long ago, the problem is psychiatry sees us when we are mentally ill, they don’t see us when we are not.
I hope that helps
So I concluded long ago, the problem is psychiatry sees us when we are mentally ill, they don’t see us when we are not.
I hope that helps
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