She's reluctant to prescribe them to me so quickly, if ever. She recommended me to a local sex therapist I've been wanting to see. I think she'd be more willing to help me.

She said she wanted to investigate the root of why I want to take hormones and eventually get castrated, suggesting that self-esteem and confidence issues with women ought to be addressed instead. I wonder if they'd try to get to the root of, and treat, homosexual desires if I told them I were attracted to men. What interesting selective discrimination in our society!

Daniel, you're seeing the clear distinction between psychiatrists (MDs) and psychologists (Masters, PhDs). The important thing is, you've obtained a referral to the psychologist/therapist who is more likely to be knowledgeable regarding sex and gender, and more open to understanding YOUR needs.

It seems to me some therapists confuse helping someone be happy and well adjusted with "fixing" them and making them "normal" again.

Mine gave me a list of local urologists and continued to help me overcome my depression. Sadly, I had to move so my free therapist is no longer available to me. (woo indian mental heath!)

Well, to be the Devil's Advocate here: it IS possible that your desires are rooted in a psychological issue, perhaps your homosexuality. Have you really tried to embrace your homosexuality? There are a lot of gay people who seek castration because they believe that that is easier than facing the challenges of being openly gay. While those are indeed big challenges, I think it can be a shame to not try to embody who you were meant to be -- you should not get castrated to avoid facing up to your actual sexuality, except perhaps if that sexuality is so harmful that it needs such drastic action (e.g. pedophilia or self-harm).

I've always found psychiatrists to be really helpful for my problems. That may be because I live in big cities on the West Coast, where they have seen it all. But they did the proper thing which is to progress towards chemical castration, but only after properly rooting through other possible issues.

Anyway, I don't know you. But I do know that a lot of people avoid facing their true nature and that that avoidance can lead to lots of needless trouble. Give the shrinks a chance. You might be surprised at what comes out of it.

SplitDik (imported) wrote: Fri Sep 16, 2011 10:52 am Well, to be the Devil's Advocate here: it IS possible that your desires are rooted in a psychological issue, perhaps your homosexuality. Have you really tried to embrace your homosexuality? There are a lot of gay people who seek castration because they believe that that is easier than facing the challenges of being openly gay. While those are indeed big challenges, I think it can be a shame to not try to embody who you were meant to be -- you should not get castrated to avoid facing up to your actual sexuality, except perhaps if that sexuality is so harmful that it needs such drastic action (e.g. pedophilia or self-harm).

I've always found psychiatrists to be really helpful for my problems. That may be because I live in big cities on the West Coast, where they have seen it all. But they did the proper thing which is to progress towards chemical castration, but only after properly rooting through other possible issues.

Anyway, I don't know you. But I do know that a lot of people avoid facing their true nature and that that avoidance can lead to lots of needless trouble. Give the shrinks a chance. You might be surprised at what comes out of it.

My desires are definitely rooted in psychological issues, I definitely didn't mean to deny that. I was just using homosexual desire as an example of something which would be regarded as somehow inherently pathological. The first thought would probably not be "oh, he is attracted to men because of father issues"(even if said therapist, as I certainly do, accepts the possible that its genesis lay, at least in part, and in at least some cases, in such a cause). Instead, they'd simply shrug off such desires and think "hey, to each his own." I'm simply pointing out the double standard operative here. For the record, I also find psychiatrists helpful, and would probably be in a loony bin without them. I take a good deal of Prozac for depression, anxiety and OCD without which I'd be doomed.

"I've noticed that there are many healthy males displeased with their own genitalia; for an infinite number of reasons.

Men risk much danger trying various methods to ease the suffering their sexuality forces them to endure. Excessive masturbation, performance anxieties, fear of unfavorable sexual comparison with other males, impotence reaction to the vast superiority of feminine sexuality and masochistic pleasures derived by his feelings of sexual inadequacy to satisfy a woman: Just the tip of the iceberg of the sex obsessions plaguing too many men.

Many males try too many rash, possibly unlawful and very damaging attempts to subdue or remove their unwanted sexuality. Hormones, castration, extreme CBT, intentional and severe genital mutilation, saline testicle injections, penis removal or modification, chastity devices, using a gun to blow off his own genitals, chemical castration... Masculinity can be pure hell to a male who feels cursed with it!"

^dayiasp posted this in another thread on whether or not botox is a safe and/or useful substance to use in disabling erections. I'd say it describes my case pretty well. I'm simply neither able nor willing to salvage my sexuality and would as soon be rid of sexual desire rather than feed it as I would be free of nicotine cravings rather than satisfying it with cigarettes.

I'd say get another shrink. She doesn't understand about your particular set of "self esteem and confidence issues" and what they're tied to. She's in a binary world where "God" does no wrong and since you are male then you are to be a "man" and you must be made to be that way first and foremost of all with no third options. You don't need this type of guilt being RE-thrust upon you over again.

devi (imported) wrote: Sat Sep 17, 2011 7:03 am I'd say get another shrink. She doesn't understand about your particular set of "self esteem and confidence issues" and what they're tied to. She's in a binary world where "God" does no wrong and since you are male then you are to be a "man" and you must be made to be that way first and foremost of all with no third options. You don't need this type of guilt being RE-thrust upon you over again.

You could of said it better! And I agree with you. If the shrink does NOT understand or is not working for you get an different shrink.