As visibility for LGBTQ people increases, adolescents have discovered new sexuality and gender labels with which to explore identity. During a time when a young woman is malleable and open, new ways of understanding herself can be simultaneously exhilarating, seductive, and intimidating. Indeed, many young people try on various identities as they traverse into adulthood: the ambitious athlete, the flippant skateboarder, the eccentric thespian, the moody goth, etc.
When entering their early 20s, most adolescents will leave behind the maladaptive teenage experiments that no longer serve their needs. But what happens when a child’s identity exploration goes beyond aesthetics, clothing, music, and outward appearance? The stakes are suddenly and alarmingly high when young people begin to play with a complete identity change, medical procedures, and permanent irreversible interventions.
In fact, many teens who “fall down the gender rabbit hole” only seem to get more anxious and self-conscious as they put on the persona of the new gender. For some others, celebrity and fanfare accompanies their “coming out” and catapults teens into a high status role within their peer group or school. But what comes next? If she ever feels she’s “outgrown” this identity experiment, will she lose all her friends, feel demoted, or struggle to save face?
Since 2016, I’ve worked exclusively with teens and families struggling with gender issues.
Through my clinical practice and detailed study, I’ve learned a great deal about
This is a descriptive term for a brand new type of gender struggle. Kids who exhibit ROGD are described as:
Precipitating events like social isolation, body image issues, or a difficult puberty also seem correlated.