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RE: My Gender Transition - Am I Doing This Right?
I've heard the term "gatekeeping" from several good acquaintances who have medically transitioned, and understood what it meant (and how disgusting it is)...but your explanation really got me to thinking about the concept, and how prevalent it seems to be in psychiatry these days. I'm glad you found a doctor who really wanted to help you resolve your dysphoria instead of making you jump through hoops and/or judge you.
It really is a giant problem for us, and I would even stand to say that it's a source of anguish and suicidal tendencies.
I can definitely see the connection between suicide and gate keeping. I'm not trans, but I do receive regular mental health care because I'm a combat veteran and deal with some trauma related to that and non-combat experiences alike. There's a real problem with "gatekeeping" at the VA when it comes to a lot of mental health diagnoses. Honestly, it should be considered a human right's issue. It sounds like they lump gender dysphoria in with the other stuff that they've decided we can live with. Except suicide rates say otherwise. I can only imagine how much more painful being denied treatment must be when your very identity (or how society identifies you, regardless of your feelings about it) is what causes you psychological harm.
<3