Individuals who identify as transgender tend to experience higher rates of mental health issues than the general population, in part due to the experience of discrimination and abuse. The American Psychological Association pointed out in its March 2016 report on the impact of discrimination, “for many adults, dealing with discrimination results in a state of heightened vigilance and changes in behavior, which in itself can trigger stress responses—that is, even the anticipation of discrimination is sufficient to cause people to become stressed.”
What can you do?
- Learn more about how the experience of discrimination might be impacting you physically
- Read about the diagnostic criteria of gender dysphoria
What resources are available?
- Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860
- The Trevor Project‘s 24/7/365 Lifeline at 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386) or TrevorChat, their online instant messaging option, or TrevorText, a text-based support option. If you are looking for peer support, you can visit TrevorSpace from anywhere in the world.
- National Center for Trans Equality
- The Transgender Law Center
- Transgender Legal & Defense Fund
- Gender spectrum