The Conception, Perception and Discrimination of the Transgender and Mentally Ill - Sociology Essays

Rejection and isolation are integral aspects of a transgendered individual’s life. Transgendered individuals are often marginalized from the mainstream gay and lesbian communities. And, their families of origin ostracize many. As a result, they have low self-esteem, neglect their own health, and are fatalistic about the future. Discrimination creates significant barriers for transgendered persons who want to maintain or seek regular

employment. Eliminating discrimination during access to services is particularly important for disenfranchised groups such as transgendered individuals. The provider of services is seen initially as a representative of a larger social system that is perceived as antagonistic to their well-being. Based upon direct experience, many transgendered people distrust service providers, feel misunderstood by them, and believe that providers regard them as expendable, which further prevents access of services.

Consequences
Common Needs and Concerns of the Transgendered
“According to Israel and Tarver (1997), “The most common mental health issues transgender persons experience are depression as well as adjustment, anxiety, personality, and posttraumatic stress disorders.” (p. 40). While the transgender state itself is not any longer considered to be unhealthy, the stress of dealing with the confusion and society’s negative response can lead to numerous other problems. One common tactic is denial. Ettner urges that the therapist is responsible for “educating clients early on that denial is never a healthy option for living with the condition.” (p. 115). Additionally,

transgender persons are no more or less prone to disfunctionality in their relationships than the general population. “Dysfunctional patterns learned in the family and other places are brought into the current situation and affect the way a person deals with the gender issue. But they usually don’t have to do with the actual gender behavior itself.” (Miller, 1996, p. 49). “A big challenge for the counselor is to make sure that dysfunctionality issues are worked on and separated from the gender issues.” (p. 99).
Guilt and shame may be problems. As mentioned previously and stated so well by Bornstein (1995), “humiliation is the whip of the defenders of gender.” (p. 88). Ettner (1999) stresses the devastating effect of shame on the development of a positive identity. The lack of positive role models and sensationalized stories of cross-dressers and transsexuals on TV talk shows and in the news serve to reinforce the shame and raise the barriers to seeking counseling. Guilt arises because many, if not most, transgendered persons inextricably involve others in their often-painful search for a positive approach to life: partners, parents, other family and friends. “Guilt over ‘damage,’ or perceived damage, done to others is often expressed in therapeutic situations and thwarts realistic decision making.” (Ettner, p. 104). Researchers Schaefer and Wheeler (as cited in Ettner) identified guilt as underlying a host of psychological problems facing the gender-variant individual.