Mental Illness

There seems to be an epidemic of consequential significance in America today, it's called mental illness.  If our nations leaders, media, clinicians, and others, do not start addressing this epidemic seriously, it will not end well for any of us.

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I often use humor to make light of things and to sometimes deal with things that are uncomfortable to me. But in today's episode, there is really nothing humorous about it, and it's actually a very sober topic, and so I want to treat it with the respect that it deserves, but I want to bring some of these things to light that I think many in our society are passing off and not actually treating. So let me get going with what I want to talk about today. The mental illness that I'll be talking about today is gender dysphoria. I'm going to use the Mayo Clinic as well as the psychology today website for a lot of what I have to talk about and to provide some commentary with these things in mind. So let me get started with this. The Mayo Clinic's website, and the first paragraph that I pulled up under Gender Dysphoria Symptoms and Causes says this quote Gender dysphoria is the feeling of discomfort or distress that might occur in people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth or sex related physical characteristics, end of quote. Now, this next paragraph that I want to read from the male clinic says this, and I quote, a diagnosis for gender dysphoria is included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a manual published by the American Psychiatric Association. The diagnosis was created to help people with gender dysphoria get access to necessary health care and effective treatment. The term focuses on discomfort as the problem rather than identity. There certainly seems to be a lot of opinions, even from clinicians and lay people like myself, as to how to treat, effectively treat this disorder. Under the symptoms heading, the male clinic says quote, gender dysphoria might cause adolescents and adults to experience a marked difference between inner gender identity and assigned gender, end of quote. This word assigned or assign is where I want to focus for a few minutes. We all know that we live in somewhat of a woke culture, and you may define woke differently than I do, but there are a lot of people, businesses, politicians, people in the media, etc., who look at being woke as being right, or in other words, progressive, that it's accepting of all people and things like that. Well, I have a different opinion. I'm one of these people who still believes that there is right and wrong, that there are consequences for bad behavior and poor choices. But we would be led to believe in our society today that you can choose to do whatever you want and there's no consequences for your behavior. Well, any of us with two brain cells to rub together knows that this is silly. It's not true, it's not factual. Webster's dictionary, who I might add, seem to be a little woke themselves, gives some definitions about a sign, and I want to read those to you. The first definition of a sign in Webster's is to, quote, transfer property to another, especially in trust or for the benefit of creditors. So no problem with that definition. Seems to be on par. The second one is to quote, appoint to a post or duty, close quote. So same thing there. Seems reasonable. The next one is to appoint as a duty or task. And the example they give is to assign 20 pages of homework. So we've all been in that situation where we've been given by our teacher, professor, instructor, what have you, a homework assignment that we don't particularly care about, but it's an assignment, and we must carry out that assigned duty, or else we're going to get a horrible grade, probably flunk if they even do that anymore. I don't know. Maybe it's you tried, so we'll give you credit, but I digress, so let me continue. Here's the next definition, and they had me for a minute and then lost me when I get to this point, and I'll tell you where that is. They say this quote, to fix or specify in correspondence or relationship, assign counsel to the defendant, assign a value to the variable, end of quote. So these definitions of assign seem pretty reasonable. Then they give an example that goes like this quote Though assigned male at birth, she appears most comfortable and in her element wearing a skirt and high heeled sandals when riding a big wheel or playing with a T set, end of quote. And there is a name attached to that example, and the name is Will Dean. I have no idea who Will Dean is and how he managed to get himself in Webster's dictionary, but there you go. Now the variable here seems to be the word male, because they say that in this example that this person was assigned male at birth, but now since that variable has changed, this individual who was male is now passing themselves off as female. Now I want to focus on this word variable. We often hear the word variable used to describe wind speeds associated with a weather report or forecast. In other words, it's something that can be changed by Mother Nature, by God, etc., whatever you believe there. And I'm not talking about any of those things today. But variable or variables in a math equation, however, is a whole different proposition altogether. Now, a variable can be assigned by a teacher. So example, they could say that two times two equals four. The variables in a math equation are by nature fluid. They change, they're different. However, the sum is not variable at all. It's fixed, it's unchangeable. So two times two is always four. If you're doing math like the way I used to do math and how I was taught to do math, if the variable in math is changed, then the sum will reflect those changes in the variables or variable. So you take a simple equation that have the variables two times three, that will no longer be four, that would be six, and so on and so forth. So when it comes to the variables of male and female, I strongly believe that God made the assignment. In other words, I believe he had some things to do with whether we would be born male or female. And I talked a little bit about this in the last episode about equal and equality, and I compared those two. So go back and take a listen to that episode if you missed it. It's not necessarily something you need to do in order to understand this episode, but in any case, I'm just letting you know that I talked about this very recently. Let me go back to the Mayo Clinic's website. They say this quote, gender dysphoria may also cause significant distress that affects how you function in social situations at work or school and in other areas of life. End of quote. So nothing really new there. In fact, we used to refer to things like this as test anxiety or social awkwardness, peer pressure or nervousness, adolescence, the teenage years. In other words, growing up, maturing. You know what I mean? There are a lot of other terms that are similar to these, such as uneasiness, being anxious, having stress or worry, discomfort, frustration. All of these things are normal. They're part of life. But it doesn't mean we cease the effort to overcome them. Obviously, a clinical diagnosis of a mental disorder is different than all the words I just mentioned. And that mental illness should be treated, not accepted by the rest of us as normal behavior that we're just supposed to accept and acknowledge. And when I say treated, not accepted, what I'm saying is if someone has a mental disorder, in this case, a disorder which has to do with their own sexuality and gender, which is gender dysphoria, then we should accept that that person needs to be treated, not coddled or treated with kid gloves, not affirmed. I'm not going to affirm someone's mental disorder. It's absurd. I'm not going to treat someone who was born male as if they were female just because that's the way they feel and they have this disorder. What I'm going to do is recommend that they get the help that they need so that they can overcome it. It is about overcoming. It's not about affirming something that is absurd. I'm not saying that we treat people who have gender dysphoria with any disrespect or be mean or hateful to these people. We should of all people, we should be the most compassionate and understanding that they have this disorder and that they need help. And we should recommend that they get help, not sit there and say, oh, yeah, you're okay. If you feel like a girl today, then that's probably what you are. No, that's wrong. I'm not going to do it, not going to affirm that someone is female when they've were born male, or vice versa. It's not going to happen. But again, as I said, it doesn't mean that I have to be discompassionate, that I have to be mean and hateful toward that person. I just don't think that the rest of us should treat gender dysphoria as normal behavior and that we're just supposed to accept and acknowledge it. But that's what happens in our society today. We're supposed to shut up and play along. And it's only hurting the individual who is faced with this terrible mental disorder to begin with. I'm not going to affirm something that is just not true. That's not the way to help someone. The way to help someone, as I said, I'm sounding like a broken record, is to recommend in the most loving way possible that they get the help that they need to overcome it. But unfortunately, many clinicians in our society today are not doing the things that they should be doing to help them overcome it. They're just playing in to their scenario of being a different gender than the one that they were actually born with. Now, let me switch to the psychology today website and read what they defined gender dysphoria as. Quote, gender dysphoria is defined by strong, persistent feelings of identification with another gender and discomfort with one's own assigned gender and sex. Again, my idea of assigned gender comes from God and He's the ultimate authority. So there are mental illnesses and mental health concerns that need to be addressed, gender dysphoria probably being at the top of the list these days. Psychology Today goes on to say that, quote, people with gender dysphoria often desire to live in accordance with their gender identity, and may dress and use mannerisms associated with the gender with which they identify in order to achieve this goal. End of quote. Sometimes he played with the Barbie doll. So what? Do you think my wife and I said, oh my goodness, something's wrong with this boy? We didn't necessarily discourage it, and we didn't encourage it either. But we didn't make a big deal about it. And if one of my daughters wanted to play with a G.I. Joe or something that is construed to be, oh, that's a pure male toy or whatever. No. In the last episode, I talked about the fact that there are men who have feminine tendencies and that there are women who have more masculine tendencies. It doesn't mean that they need to become the other sex in order to have a quality life. To me, I think it just means that they're pretty normal. Now, again, if someone is diagnosed with the mental illness, gender dysphoria, then that individual ought to be courted the respect that they deserve and be treated for it, not encouraged to continue to live something that is a complete and utter lie. Psychology today says this, quote, gender refers to the attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that one's culture associates with biological sex. Sex refers to biological features such as genitals and sex hormone levels. If I understand this correctly, psychology today is trying to get us to believe that gender refers to, among other things, biological sex, and that sex refers to biological features such as genitals and hormone levels. Now, if this isn't the thickest word soup that I have ever heard, then I don't know what it is. And if you're like me, thick soup is nasty. I mean seriously, is there that much of a difference between biological sex and biological features that are associated with sex? Come on. Psychology today goes on to say that, quote, a child who is assigned one gender may express the wish to be a different gender, state that they are or assert that they will grow up to be. Additionally, some children will show discomfort with their physical sex characteristics closed, quote. Now think about this. We all have had moments of discomfort, but it doesn't mean that we give in to those discomforts. Growth takes place when we're able to overcome those discomforts. And sometimes we need help with it. And you know what? That's okay. Now, this next section is really the kicker. They say this quote Identifying with a gender different from the one that was assigned is not a mental disorder in itself. There is debate in the field as to whether this experience should be classified as a mental illness. Ladies and gentlemen, this is where we are today. In mainstream media, academia, among clinicians even, there is little, if any, to talk about gender dysphoria as a mental disorder. And in fact, psychology today is going on to say that they don't believe that it is a mental disorder in itself. I mean, wow. I believe this is exactly the way they want it. Instead of those with the disorder getting the help they need, the focus has been shifted to the rest of us as if we are the ones who need help. We are transphobic, which emanates from terms like homophobic or Islamophobic. Yes, yes, we are the ones that have the problem or the disorder. We have the mental hang up because we don't accept what the world wants us to accept when it comes to gender dysphoria and other mental illnesses. This is the most I feel like I've used the word absurd a lot in this episode, but it is absurd. It's something that I'm unwilling to accept. I want to see people who have a mental disorder get the help that they need. One more quote from Psychology Today. They go on to say this, and I quote, the level of distress experienced by someone with gender dysphoria can be significant. Let me stop there. They just got through saying that they didn't think they could classify it as a mental illness, yet they say here that gender dysphoria can be significant when it comes to the distress levels that they experience. Let me continue. And individuals do much better if they are in supportive environments, allowed to express their gender in the way that's most comfortable to them, and are given knowledge that if necessary, treatments exist to reduce the sense of incongruence they feel. End of quote. First of all, let me say this, as I've said already. No matter who you are, you deserve to be in supportive environments. That's absolutely true. One should not, however, be allowed to express their gender in the way that's most comfortable to them. That makes no sense whatsoever. We're playing into the mental illness. I don't care if the psychology today refers to it as a mental illness or not, it certainly is. Why are there people who treat mental illness so much different than a physical illness, or for that matter, any other mental illness like multiple personality disorder? Why? Why do people treat it differently? In my personal opinion, it should not be treated any different. But let me just pick apart this paragraph here that I just read. Let's say that someone has cancer or heart disease, diabetes, or any other physical illness, and they are given knowledge that if necessary, treatments exist to reduce their debilitating physical illness, do you think they would accept those treatments? First of all, if necessary, we don't bat an eye when it comes to a physical illness like the ones I just mentioned and many more, that if treatment is necessary or that the patient was given a certain amount of knowledge that if there was treatment available and necessary. Of course it would be necessary. It'd be necessary so that they could try to overcome the disease that they have. It is considered as an absolute to treat a physical disease with the best possible treatment available to get the patient back to full health, if that's possible. I get it. Sometimes there are malignant diseases, there are terminal diseases that end people's lives. I understand that. But in a large majority of the cases, whether it be cancer or diabetes or heart disease or any other disease, as I said, they can be treated and they accept those treatments so that they can indeed be better and get better and extend their life on this planet. I think most people want to do that if they're in a decent enough situation where their life is considered to be a quality form of life. Of course, we would all accept these treatments if they're available. I think all of us can accept and agree that a physical disease is treated with the best available effort to cure the patient, to help the patient recover. Why don't we embrace the same mentality with mental illness like gender dysphoria? Why do we have to treat it any different? That is the question that I would ask. That is the question that I will leave with you in today's episode. Why do we have to treat this any different than we treat any physical disease? I would love to know the answer to that question. Ladies and gentlemen, if you or you know someone who is suffering from a mental illness or any other concern, I would ask you to be as compassionate and empathetic and understanding as you can possibly be. It is what that individual, or even you yourself, deserve. To close this episode, it has been reported that Audrey Hepburn had this to say, and I end with her quote. She said, Nothing is more important than empathy for another human being's suffering. Nothing. Not career, not wealth, not intelligence, certainly not status. We have to feel for one another if we are going to survive with dignity. Ladies and gentlemen, if you can think it, you can plan it. If you can plan it, you can do it.