I just think doctors in 100 years are going to look back and say, "Did it never occur to you to look under the sheet and think maybe it's not the body but the brain?"
While I think in 500 years people are going to look back and think our ideas of gender, gender roles, and the concept of binary sexuality are quaint and misguided.
Can you can guarantee that looking into the mental aspects won't be an excuse to lock 'em up in insane asylums and throw away they key? Again?
"ATTENTION: Customers browsing porn must hold magazines with both hands at all times!"
Can you can guarantee that looking into the mental aspects won't be an excuse to lock 'em up in insane asylums and throw away they key? Again?
You should address that question to Malcolm, he said something earlier about how much the brain controls the body.
The brain does. I have yet to see a well adjusted closeted gay person. Trying to suppress your sexuality is a complete bitch. If we had a way to do it that was less subtle than castration, don't you think we'd be breaking it out on every pedophile in the population? Come on, I want to see the bio-psych magic bullet to cure that shit. Gayness ought to be easy to detect after that.
Edited By Malcolm on 1431994707
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
No-one, wrote Frank Beach, a notable contributor to the experimental study of hormones and sexual behaviour, ever died from lack of sex. But the personal, social and legal aspects of sexual behaviour are a pervasive pre-occupation in all humans. The variety and vagaries of sex can have severe implications, and the existence of homosexuality and disorders of gender identity demand some sort of explanation (Bancroft, 2008). Neuroscience can ask itself, therefore, why it has contributed so little to understanding human sexuality. One reason is our overall ignorance about the brain, which hinders attempts to relate particular patterns of brain activity to an observable behaviour in a way that contributes to understanding. Another is the effect of sexual mores on the study of sexuality itself: studying sex is still considered a slightly risqué career, and made difficult by the politics, constraints and prejudices of human societies. It took the AIDS epidemic to convince many governments and funding bodies that studying sex was important and respectable. Most of our information on the neurobiology of sex comes from animal studies (Becker et al., 2005), but nearly all of what we know about variations in human sexuality, including hetero- and homo-sexuality, and disorders of gender identity (transsexualism), comes from clinical material, anecdotes or even fiction (the three overlap).
That's just the first paragraph. Lots of interesting stuff follows but I don't want to quote the whole thing.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
Someone show me what the model brain looks like. I'm 99.9% certain I'd qualify for at least one mental disorder myself. I'm at least semi-functional.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
A small percentage of our population feels that their “brain” is one gender while their “body” is another, a phenomenon known as Gender Identity Disorder (GID). This variation from the norm creates immense discomfort and inhibits some children from developing a strong, confident sense of self (Hepp, Kraemer, Schnyder, Miller & Delsignore, 2005). In fact, past research has demonstrated that when is GID experienced in childhood, it has been correlated with low self-esteem and has been disruptive of healthy identity development (Hepp et al., 2005).
Recently, inclusion of GID in the upcoming DSM-V has been a subject of debate. As the DSM currently stands, GID is considered an illness that can be “treated,” and many psychologists argue that considering only one form of gender identity development to be “healthy” may define gender in a heteronormative way (Zucker, 2006). The lack of understanding about the true causes and considerations involved in GID only leaves room for discriminatory, stereotyped classification of individuals developing gender identities. Society passes judgment in the face of uncertainty and the mystery of sex and gender is no exception. However, a neurological understanding of gender identity as it relates to sexual identity may allow both clinicians and the public increased exposure to constructs related to sex and gender. By increasing public knowledge about gender identity development beyond the hetero-normative tradition, we may be able to improve social acceptance for both children and adults diagnosed with GID, who do not fall in the traditional gender paradigm.
Goes on to say that kids have it rough, and a lack of awareness of self can cause other psychological problems.
"Be bold, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
TPRJones wrote:Can you can guarantee that looking into the mental aspects won't be an excuse to lock 'em up in insane asylums and throw away they key? Again?
No more than you can guarantee that looking into the physical body aspects won't be an excuse for medical surgical experimentation like they did... oh wait...
"... and then I was forced to walk the Trail of Tears." - Elizabeth Warren
TPRJones wrote:Can you can guarantee that looking into the mental aspects won't be an excuse to lock 'em up in insane asylums and throw away they key? Again?
No more than you can guarantee that looking into the physical body aspects won't be an excuse for medical surgical experimentation like they did... oh wait...
If someone wants to hack off their balls, it's their body, and they can. You've got quite a lot of proof to present to show they're mentally deficient or otherwise adversely affected by ... something, I don't even know what.
Here's what happens when you treat sexuality society doesn't approve of as a disease. If we're calling transgenderism a mental illness, I guess all plastic surgery is symptomatic of BDD and prayer means you're schizophrenic.
Edited By Malcolm on 1432002116
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
TPRJones wrote:Can you can guarantee that looking into the mental aspects won't be an excuse to lock 'em up in insane asylums and throw away they key? Again?
No more than you can guarantee that looking into the physical body aspects won't be an excuse for medical surgical experimentation like they did... oh wait...
Okay, but one way of approaching it means you are telling people they have to deny what they feel is right about who they are. The other way is enabling them to achieve what they feel they should be. Until there is evidence to the contrary I will lean towards the one that lets them do what they choose is right for themselves.
"ATTENTION: Customers browsing porn must hold magazines with both hands at all times!"
TPRJones wrote:Okay, but one way of approaching it means you are telling people they have to deny what they feel is right about who they are.
That's about all that any treatment for a mental disorder is. As I've said all along, my issue is we are all acting like everyone has to celebrate who they think they are when that may or may not be helpful. We wouldn't do that with schizophrenia or social withdrawal or any other psychological disorder. I just think we might want to commit ourselves to learning more and honest pursuit of answers before we start handing out party poppers for transgender coming out parties.
"... and then I was forced to walk the Trail of Tears." - Elizabeth Warren
John Nash (the dude from A Beautiful Mind) died in a car accident. He had an interesting theory on mental illness.
Nash has suggested hypotheses on mental illness. He has compared not thinking in an acceptable manner, or being "insane" and not fitting into a usual social function, to being "on strike" from an economic point of view. He has advanced views in evolutionary psychology about the value of human diversity and the potential benefits of apparently nonstandard behaviors or roles.
Diogenes of Sinope: "It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC: "Better dead than smeg."
