Understanding Gender Dysphoria’s Influence
The second step with externalization is to map the ways the gender dysphoria is trying to control or influence you. (El segundo paso de la externalización es identificar las maneras en que la disforia de género intenta controlarte o influir en ti.)
To do this, you can look at its impact on your social interactions, physical well-being, and mental state.
Social Impacts: This could involve how the gender dysphoria affects your relationships, interactions with others, or feelings of belonging. (Impacto social: Esto puede involucrar como la disforia de género afecta tus relaciones, interacciones con los demás, o tus sentimientos de pertenecer.)
Physical Impacts: This might include bodily sensations, discomfort, or changes in how you experience your body. (Impacto físico: Esto incluye sensaciones corporales, incomodidad, o cambios en como percibes tu cuerpo.)
Mental Impacts: This refers to the thoughts, feelings, or beliefs that the gender dysphoria may cause, such as self-doubt, anxiety, or feeling bad about yourself. (Impacto mental: esto se refiere a pensamientos, sentimientos, o creencias que causan la disforia de género, como la duda en ti mismo/a/e, ansiedad, or sentirte mal de ti mismo/a/e.)
For example, Mac in the video described how the distractor impacts them socially by telling them they will be misgendered and that they should just stay home. Physically, it can cause sharp pains when they see their reflection in the mirror. Mentally, the distractor tells them they will never be accepted.
Recognizing how the gender dysphoria is impacting you allows you to notice that it’s separate from who you are. It’s something that shows up and affects you, not something that defines you. (El reconocer el impacto que tiene la disforia de género te deja darte cuenta que es aparte de quien eres. Es algo que aparece y te afecta, no algo que te define.)
“I wrote out some of the really mean things that my dysphoria produces, that I never would have said out loud on my own. I try really hard to not be verbally mean to myself so I don’t actually say the mean things to myself, and so having something else say them let me write them down and process them.” (A White, trans man)
Take a moment now to think about ways the gender dysphoria tries to control you.
- Does it keep you from going out with friends or dating [socially]? (¿Te impide salir con tus amistades o tener citas [socialmente]?)
- Does it make you tired or exhausted [physically]? (¿Te hace sentir cansado o agotado [físicamente]?)
- Does it make you sad or anxious [mentally]? (¿Te hace sentir triste o ansioso/a [mentalmente]?)
Think about the various ways the gender dysphoria tries to take your joy and reflect on those in the activity.