 |
 |
 |
 |
|
COMING OUT VS FITTING IN• Conflicts between one’s internal reality and the way the world is, can be a source of major distress. The issues start when one is quite young, of course, and can feel the difference or have their differences pointed out, most times harshly by mean people. We met Satya as a 14-year-old who was very depressed and had been self-harming. In talking to Satya, it became apparent that figuring out gender and sexuality was not as crystal clear for Satya as it seemed to be for most other teenagers. It was a very confusing and traumatizing time to begin with, and when Satya began talking to their mother, the resistance and outright rejection came as a shock. Satya was extremely distressed. We worked with the family to help keep a safe space, and with Satya to gently explore and normalize their growing sense of their own identity, and thankfully, Satya and Satya’s family have been able to come around. But not all stories end well—many LGBT youth try very hard at the cost of their own comfort to somehow fit-in and ‘pass’ but even with one’s best efforts to stay within the norm, and even more so when one just cannot, the differences have a way of being found out, leading to bullying, ostracizing and worse. Take Arvind, for example. As a student in a premier engineering college in India, he expected to be treated with respect and dignity but found himself the target of ‘jokes’, which included his classmates sending pictures of male-on-male sex acts to the college group, writing explicit messages on his backpack and so on. He survived the hostility, but it left scars on him that he could overcome only with great effort and support. It is harder still when a person is gender-fluid, or in transition. When Suresh, a trans-man, after joining a large MNC, began to let people know about the transition, the hope was for acceptance, given the non-discrimination policies on paper. At first, things didn’t seem too bad – even if there wasn’t a warm welcome, nobody made things difficult, or so Suresh thought…until the team gifted a box of bangles and other feminine accessories as a ‘gift’ for Suresh’s birthday. That single act was brutal in its impact and emotionally scarring. The minority stress, or the experience of prejudice, oppression and discrimination is all too real. There are a number of limiting experiences an LGBT person faces in society: Rejection and bullying, often starting from home and school • Access to education, employment, and social spaces,can be limited or intimidating • Workplace discrimination, often subtle and indirect, can keep people from fully exploring their capabilities • Denial of rights, including basics such as medical care, has a direct impact on quality of life These experiences can lead to an ongoing, unconscious erosion of self-worth, while others might have major traumatic events that can be scarring, leading to alienation, unhealthy risk-taking and for some others, even suicide. |
|
SEXUAL DYSFUNCTIONsource : WWW.WHITESWANFOUNDATION.ORGSexual dysfunction is a fairly common condition that affects men and women of all ages, although the chances do increase as you grow older. Most of these conditions are treatable but people hesitate to talk about it or seek help for fear of being judged. Q : What are the symptoms of sexual dysfunction? A : The symptoms of sexual dysfunction are different for men and women. Some of the common symptoms are: In men: • Erectile dysfunction: Having trouble getting or maintaining an erection for intercourse. • Ejaculation problems: Being unable to control when you ejaculate. This could happen before or just after penetration (premature), or considerably long after orgasm (delayed). Some men experience retarded or retrograde ejaculation, where the ejaculate enters the bladder instead of the penis at the time of climax. • Low libido: Low levels of testosterone can reduce your desire for sexual activity. In Women: • Diminished libido: Your desire for sex is low due to low levels of estrogen or testosterone. • Inability to achieve orgasm: You regularly have difficulty achieving orgasm even though there has been enough arousal and stimulation. • Vaginal dryness and pain: Lack of vaginal lubrication before and during intercourse, causing severe pain. Q : What causes sexual dysfunction? A : Sexual dysfunction can be caused by a variety of physical, psychological and environmental factors. Some of the common factors are: Physical factors: • In men, nerve damage, problems with blood flow, conditions such as diabetes, hormonal imbalance, neurological disorders, heart or kidney failure, can cause sexual dysfunction. Alcoholism and use of some types of medication can also hamper sexual function. • In women, urinary or bowel problems, neurological disorders, arthritis, and use of some medications can cause sexual dysfunction. A decrease in estrogen levels can cause thinning of the vaginal lining and thus a drop in lubrication. This can make intercourse quite painful. Psychological and environmental factors: Stress from the workplace is a common cause for reduced sexual desire. Other factors include sexual performance anxiety, an existing case of depression or anxiety, relationship problems with the partner, and sexual trauma from one's past. |
|
Transgenders more distressed due to social rejectionsource : WWW.WHITESWANFOUNDATION.ORGTransgender people face psychological distress due to social rejection and violence and not due to their gender identity, reveals a study conducted in Mexico city. Evidence from the study points towards removal of transgender identity from the current classification of mental disorders in WHO's ICD-10 (International Classification of Disorders) and DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). This study is one of the first field trials that was conducted to evaluate a proposal to remove the diagnosis of transgender from ICD-10. The study was conducted on 250 transgenders at a clinic in Mexico city that specialized in transgender health care services. Most participants were transgender women, who were assigned male sex during birth. Researchers found that 83% of them faced psychological distress due to their transgender identity which they identified during adolescence. About 90% of them faced family, social, work or academic dysfunction during adolescence, while 73% reported social rejection due to their gender identity. "Our findings support the idea that distress and dysfunction may be the result of stigmatization and maltreatment, rather than integral aspects of transgender identity," says lead investigator Dr Rebeca Robles, Mexican National Institute of Psychiatry. "The next step is to confirm this in further studies in different countries, ahead of the approval of the WHO revision to International Classification of Diseases in 2018," said Dr Robles, in this report. The research was led by the National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de le Fuente Muñizis, Mexico, and is published in the Lancet Psychiatry journal. |
"HOOPSTERS COLLABORATIONS"
 |
 |
 |
"HOOPSTERS ASSOCIATIONS"
