Transsexuality is not seen as a disorder by
itself but rather as a common final stage of different dispositions and
developments, with the common core of disordered, conflicting gender
identity, and the common transsexual desire for "gender
reassignment".
Proceeding on the ascertainable increase in
frequency in the past 15 years we wonder whether some sort of collaboration
between psychological and surgical medicine and persons with identity
disorders may not have been conducive to the transsexual desire at the
expense of a thorough study of the phenomenon as well as psychotherapeutic
possibilities. Under this aspect it is analyzed and depicted which the
dimensions of transsexual experience are, what constitutes the personality
of transsexuals, and how the development toward transsexuality takes its
course. Subsequently there is a critical analysis of the
"fulfillment" of the transsexual desire under the transsexuality-law
and by means of physical-medical measures. A study of case histories and
follow-ups at hand reveals whether the desire for gender reassignment has
indeed been fulfilled.
In conclusion the recent critical
re-orientation toward psychotherapy for transsexuals as a method to control
psychic disorders by psychic means is corroborated, albeit its chances may
be viewed rather skeptically in the light of the present boom of gender
reassignment operations.
Citation:
Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr 1985 Mar;53(3):67-84 an article published on the
Internet by PubMed <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/>