Social Gender Dysphoria And Triggers
Triggers are like little buttons that can make us feel certain emotions or react in a particular way. Just like how pressing a button on a toy makes it do something, triggers can “press” our emotions, thoughts, or feelings. Triggers can be different in how strong they feel or how long they last. Some triggers can make you feel really upset, but they might not happen often. Others might not make you as upset each time, but they happen a lot, and over time, they can add up and make you feel worse.
Triggers can be different for everyone, however, there are some common ones that trans and nonbinary people talk about.
Social gender dysphoria is the kind of gender dysphoria that is often caused by other people. This can involve experiences where your gender is not affirmed by others, which can include folks deadnaming or misgendering you, non-affirming media, negative social expectations of your gender identity, anti-trans school or work environments, or discriminatory politics.
The table below shows common social gender dysphoria triggers, or experiences that increase social gender dysphoria. As you look over this table think about:
Which of the examples in the table are a trigger for your social gender dysphoria?
Which triggers increase your social gender dysphoria the most?
Are there triggers to your social gender dysphoria that are not in the table?