The Gendered Self Further Commentary on the Transsexual Phenomenon

Book excerpt: Based on the author's experience in treating over 500 gender dysphoric individuals over the last 26 years, The Gendered Self is the story of what it's like to be born into and to live out one's life as a transsexual in a cissexual world. The author starts by showing how the developing brain is genderized in-utero and how that process can go awry leaving affected individuals sex/gender incongruent. Although hormonal and surgical means is the current treatment of choice, we have come to learn that with Genital Reassignment Surgery life takes a turn wherein the individual is permanently consigned to a parallel universe: not male, not female but a bio-sociological combination of both. Transsexualism is a life long existential dilemma challenging the very nature of psychological survival. Nietzsche famously said "What does not kill you makes you stronger". As the author shows, developing a healthy transsexual identity and going on to live a meaningful life is certainly a testament to all who persist.